CS 71 
.H644 
1909 
Copy 1 




le First Generation of tbe name of Hildreth 
in Middlesex County in Massachusetts. 

1643-1693. 

The name "HildretiV* appears under the form of Heldderick, 
HJdreth, Heldrick, Hilderick, Hildich, Hildrak, Hildrc, 
Hildrich, Hildrick, Hildrith, Huldreth, Hilldrick, Hildrich, 
HilJreath. 



RICHARD HILDRETH. 

Sergeant of Militia, of 

Cambridge and Chelmsford, Middlesex Co., Mass. 

Born in Eno^land or Scotland, 1605, died, Chelmsford, 

2^ru Feb., 1693. 



Coinpilati^' maJe by 

BRIGADIER GENERAL PHILIP HILDRETH READE, 

United States Army. 

(Seventh in descent from Sergt. Richard Hildreth. ) 
June I2th, 190Q. 



A supplement to "Origin and Genealogy of the 

"HILDRETH FAMILY of LOWELL, MASS." 

BY 
Capt. Philip Reade, United Str.tes Army, compiled and privately 
printed for the family at No. 871 La!<e View Ave., Lowell, Mass., May 
I St, 1892. 




Onss C O^// 



-//•^ 



t\ 



) 







THE COMPILER 

BrioaMcr General Philip 1Rca^c 

"U n 1 1 c ^ S t a t c £1 a r m v 
3unc I2tb, 1909 









y^6 



For Verification, Consult the followin.ij: authorities. 



IMli, May 101 li, Uocords Mhkk. Hay 
Colony, Vol. 2, Pape 25K?. (Kruoman.) 

1(544, Apr. loth, Middlesex Court 
Ut'i'ords, K. ('ainlnidLTti, — impapod, — 
V<»). 1. (Sarah, wife of ivichard 
lliidreth, dyt-d.) 

1(14.'), Sept. 12th, Records of the Town 
of Cainl)ii(l;,'i', (foiint rly New Towne,) 
Mass., printed, ('aiiihri(l<,re, 1001, V(d. 1, 
Page 51. ((Muisiii Townsnian.) 

1()46, JSi'pt. 4ili. Cambridfje town 
records, Vol. 1, I'a.ire o(5. (Hi: lliidreth 
chosen to "feather up the lines for this 
pre.sent yeare.") 

1(]46, Sept. 6th, Canihridjre, town 
records, Vol. 1, P. 56. (Hi: lliidreth, 
si<,'ned order, as townsman, to pay Tho. 
lonLchorne fifty shillings forh is service 
in beating ye Drum this two years last 
past".) 

1647. Mar. 8th, Cambridge, town 
reii.rds, Vol. 1, Page 61. ("Bro. 
Hildreth is appoynted for to fee that 
theCow Comon be kept Clear of any 
sieeres or any dry Heafts & what ever 
sbalbe found Contrary to the former 
towne orders the owner of the fame 
shall ])ay 3d pr heade except the townf- 
nieu uppon Just Comjjlaint shall linde 
Just Caufe for to remitt It.") 

1647, 3d month. "Hist. Cambridge," 
by Lucius K. Paige (1S77) Page 372. 
Articles of . . . agreement between 
Mr. Henry Dunster and Edward (ioffe 
vs. Nicholas Withe G. Richard Wilson 
and Daniel Hudson, masons, March i 
1647, were sealed, signed, indented and 
delivered in jiresence of Richard 
Hildreth of Cambridge (formerly Xew 
Towne.) 

1647, Aug. 8th, Cambridge— "of Bro. 
Hildreth-0-O-Sd" Vol. 1, Page 63. 

1048, Feb. 0th. Tambridge, To "Tho. 
Oakes iVr Richard Hildreth Each of them 
a farme, (in Shawfhine, Bijlerica,), for 



then- Incouragement, if they fee it may 
make for there fuport, & defiro it. j>ro- 
vided allwaies, uppon tliis Condition if 
they or any of thcmfh.ill dipait the 
towne then there land to fall into 
towiies handes againe, & then they 
fhall haue no Power to fell, alinate, 
or giue to any other their right therein 
if they depart, from this jdace, om-ly 
tho towne fhall pay ihtin for what it 
fhall then be found better by there 
finprouement of It being valued by 
IndilTerent men." Town records, Vol. 
1, Page 75. 

1048-0,Jan, 12th Cambridge, "Edward 
Winfhip and Richard Hildreth appoyn- 
ted for menottine feilds.'— Town 
records, Vol. 1, Page 80. 

1650 Sept. 11th: Cambridge. "Seuer- 
all officers Chofen for the yeare ensue- 
ing: for Surveyours of high waies: 
Richard Kobbins: Ri : Hildreth and 
Tho: ffox: "Town records, Vol. 1, 
Page 87. 

1600 (11) 13 Cambridge "Edw: Win- 
fhip and Rich: Hildre 

are appointed for the ffences about 
menottine ffeild." Town rec. Vol. 1, 
P. 00. 

1651-1, 10 (1) Cambridge. "The Towns- 
men doe determine that the Quantity 
of Richard llildreths ffarme granted 
him by the Towne at Shawfhine fhalhe 
two hundred acres adjoyneing to the 
other farmes allready determined: 
"Town records, Vol. 1, Page 91. 

1651 Aug. 7, Middleesx County 
records, E. Cambridge, Mass., Vo]. i, 
Page 18. 

Richard Hildreth, plaintilT. against 
Samll Eldrid, defft. (Originals on file.) 

1651, Aug. 7, Written testimony of 
James Hildreth, age 20, son of Richard, 
in KIdrid case, filed as an enclosure.) 

1651, Aug. 7, Richard Hildreth's 



3 



original Bill of Charges, 1 pound : 10 s. : 
10(1 in Eldrid case, filed as au en- 
closure.) 

1G51, Aug, 27th Richard Uildreth and 
Sam 11 Eldrid named iu deposition by 
Th. Eames before Thomas Dauforth, 
i;. 'corded, about hogs in Menotomy 
Fk'ld. 

1651 14 (2) Cambridge. "The Townf- 
men doe order that mr Boman, Richard 
Ilassull A- Ric llildreth and william 
Hamlet looke to the Cow Comon, that 
uo cattle trespasse uppon the fame to 
the damage of the Cow heard, and in 
case they or any of the otherof the 
inhabitants fhall find any cattle foe 
trespassing they may impound the fame 
either in the towne pounde or there 
owne yards provided they give the 
owners notice and require of the 
owners of fuch cattle 3d a head" V. 1, 
P. 92. 

1652, 8th (9) mo. Cambridge. "Ri: 
Hildreth. Ri : Robbins and Phil. 
Cooke are chosen Surveyo's of high- 
waves." Tn. rec, Vol. 1, P. 99. 

165:?, Nov. 3d Middx. Co. records, 
Cambridge, Vol, 1, P. 47. Ri : llildreth 
member of Petty Jury at Charlestowne, 
case John Ridgway agst. Mr. Juo. 
Phillips, (bond forfeiture.) 

1653, 13th 12 Cambridge, order for 
prefervation of wood, see 15th 8, 656." 
Richard Hildreth and Tho: ftox are 
desired to fee this order executed, and 
are to haue the one fourth part of the 
lines for their labour." Town records, 
Vol. I, Page 102. 

1653 the 13th of the 1st mo. Cam- 
bridge. "Att a meeting of the Select 
iiuMi Itichard Hildreth and Tho. Hull 
are ai)poynted to view the ft'ences 
about Winuottime tfeild." Town rec, 
V. 1, Page 104. 

1654-5, 1st 12 mo. Cambridge. 
"Ensigne AVinfliip and Sergt. Hildreth 
are ai>poyiited to view the ITences about 



Winottime ffeild. Town records. Vol 
1, Page 108. 

1654, Oct. 8th M'x. Co. rec, Cam- 
bridge, Mass. Vol. 1, Pages 62, '3, '4, 
Richard Hildreth, also his wife, 
Elizabeth, testified in case E. Evans Ag. 
Richard Ffrench, that "The said mayd, 
Jane Evens, had never been tooke in a 
ly since she came to his, — Richard 
Hildreth's house. "Said Ffrench fined 
to pay Richard H's costs, 6s, to Jane 
Evens, 40s, to the county, 40s, & be 
bound in ten pounds for "good assur- 
ance towards all the inhabitants of this 
colony and Jane Evens inspeciall." 

1654, Oct. 26th, M'x. Co. rec, Cam- 
bridge, Vol. 1, Page 67. Ri ; Hildreth 
member of Jury at Charlestowne, : Ri. 
Bellingham, Esq., Gov.: Mr. Increase 
ISTowell: Capt. Humph. Athertou: 
Thos. Danforth. Case Mr. Jno. Ridgway 
agst. Robt. Jordan, 

1654-5 Richard Hildreth and wife 
Elizabeth moved from Cambridge to 
Chelmsford, regarding which, see; — 
1653, May 10th: "Chelmsford in D. H. 
Kurd's "Middlesex Co.," P. 239, by 
Henry S. Perham. Petition granted 
I8th May 1653. The Rev. Wilkes Allen 
says, (1820), P. 10, "meeting called at 
Chelmsford, Nov. 22d, 1654 to manage 
the public affairs of the place," and 
Esdras Keed chosen into office: further, 
(see Chelmsford," by H. S. Perham. in 
Vol. 2, Hurd's M'x. Co., P. 241,) prop- 
ositions made to Rev. John Fiske, 
AVenham, Mass., to remove to Chelms- 
ford, which propositisns were, on Sept. 
22d, 1654, reduced to writing as to con- 
ditions, house, buildings, salary, etc., 
by Esdras Read and his associates: see 
P. 242, ibid. On Sept. 13th, 1655, 
Esdras Reade and five associates author- 
ized to close agreements. The Rev. 
Wilkes Allen says, P. 13, that, in May, 
1655, Maj. S. Willard, at request of 
! Esdras Read* and two others, granted 



name thcrcuf to be "Chelmsford" ami 
that tlio placo \v;is iiicoi poratt-d : hiil 
".Manual for the \iso (if till! (ii-ii. (aunt 
of MiiBM., I' 14'J, says: "C'holmsford, 
First niuiitioiu'd in records of tho 
State, or thort-in recorded as Estahlish- 
ed or Incorporated, May 29th, 165"). 
Common land. .May Mlh, ltJ")(5 land 
^ranteil to Chelm^fo^d." 

The jietltion for a },Mant has, as its 
t>venty-lifth sijinatiire, on May 10th, 
1653, the name Uiehard Hildreth, (see 
11. S. Terham, I'. 235), "Chelmsford," in 
Hurd's M'x. Co.'" Vol. 2. 

1659, June 1st. Chelmsford town 
records, Book "A", Page 29, line 26, 
also M'x. Co. Records, Births, Marria<;es, 
Deaths, Vol. 1, subhead, "Chelmsford." 

(Married at Dorchester by Maj. 
Atherion, James Hildreth, eldest son 
of Uiehard and Sarah, his wife, — and 
Marfjaret Ward. She died, Chelmsford, 
3l8t Au«r., 1093: P. 345 town rec, 7th 
line. He died, Chelmsford, 14th Ajn., 
H'!»5. They were parents of Maj. 
Ephraim Hildreth, B. 9th Jan. 1680.) 

1601, Apr. 2d .M'x. C't. rec, present 
on the bench: Hi: Bellinpjham, Es(i., 
Dep. (4ov. : Capt. Daniel (iookin: Mr. 
Ri: Russell, Treas. : Thos. Danforth, 
Recorder. — Chelmsford Commissioners, 
P. 2-21. (Sertjt. Thos. Addams, Richard 
Hildreth A: William Ffletcher allowed 
and sworne three Commissioners for 
endini: small cases at Chelmsford.) 

1002, Apr. 2d M'x. C't. rec, Cam- 
bridj,'e, Mass., Vol. 1, Page 252. 
("Richard Hildreth tooke the oath of 
the com'r. for ending small causes in 
Chelmsford for the year ensuing, Cam- 
bridge, April, 1002 ) 

1663, Richard Hildreth, of Chelms- 
ford, petitioned for a grant of land 
"because he had a wife and many 
small children, and, being a husband- 
mam, he was greatly disadvantaged, 
partly by the hand of (Jod depriving 
him, some few years since, of his use 



of his rij^ht hand, whereby ho wan 
wholly disabled to labor." 

1004, May IHth Itecords of .Mans. Bay 
in New England, Vol. V, Part 2, P. 106. 
"In answer to the petition of Richard 
Hei Id lich of Chelmsford, humbly craving 
tho favor of this Court to consider IiIh 
necessitous condition, A- grant him 
some lands, this'Court judgeth it nuM-tc 
to grant hinr one hundred and fifty 
acres of upland A- meadow where it 
may conveniently be found, not 
pjudijciall to any plantation." 

1005, May 3d, Rec. Mass. Bay in .N'. 
E., Vol. IV, Part 2, Page 582. (Ve 
seiierall psons vnderwritt, returnd by 
cirtifficats from tho seuerall minsters 
& selectmen, were, by publick sufierage 
of both Magists cVr Deputjes, admitted 
to freedome, tt tooke their oathes 
accordingly, (3 May 1605.) JAMES 
HEILDRICK, 

1669, Oct. Pith, Rec. Mass. Bay in X. 
E., Vol. IV, Part 2, P. 441. (The grant 
of this Court to Richard Heildreth of 
Chelmsford, of one hundred and lifty 
acres of vvast land, lajd out by Dauvid 
Fiske, surveyor A- boundad with Con- 
cord lyue on the South east, Capt. 
Daniel Gookins farme northerly, it the 
wilderues elswhere surrounding, ac- 
cording to a ])lot returned A- is on 
tile with the records of this Court, wch 
the Court aliowes A appooues of 
by Jonathan Danforth, Surveyor 
Jno Leueret. Edward Ting. 
Wm. Stoughton, Thomas Shepheard.") 

Under "Menotomy,"' page 12, origi- 
nal record, is fi)und the following in 
Cambridge town records, viz. 

"14 .January 1038— It is ordered that 
noe timber trees shalbe felled on this 
fide Menotamy river without a warrant 
under all the townfmens hands granted 
at a (ienerall meeting monthly. Nor 
noe timber felled beyond menotomy 
river wthout warrant from the maior 
part of the Tuwuefmen." 



1674 May 11th, Cambridge. "At a 
meeting of the felect men (05) Amos 
woodward being Conuicted before the 
townsmen for felling fume green walnut 
trees upon the Rocks was fined fine 
fhillings and it was ordered by the 
felect men that the Counfiable fhould 
leauie It and pay It to Richard Cutter. 

Alfoe Richard hildreth is fined one 
fhilling for felling a green walnnt tree 
upon the Rockes (the rocks)". 

(The name Menottime Feilds, menot- 
time ffeild, Winnottime Mill, Menot- 
amye Playne, ISIenotomy Fields, the 
Rockes, the rocks, applies to what, 
until 27th Feb., 1807, was formerly the 
western parish of Cambridge. Name 
changed from West Cambridge to 
Arlington by Act 13th Apr., 1867. 
(Manual Gen. Court of Mass., M'x. Co.. 
1J«08, Py. 137, 1?.9, 1-10.) 

1676, June Cth, Case No. 1799, 
Seventh Paper, Early Court Files. 

Records Supreme Judicial Court, 
Boston. Early Court files. Suffolk 
Co., case Ebenezer Prout of Concord 
against Elizabeth & Jonathan Dunster, 
heirs of Mr. Henry Dunster. died 1659, — 
in the matter of illegally possessing 
themselves of two rods width from 
Nenottinow 3Iill to Concord Road. 
Case tried in Charlestowne, 17th June, 
1679. Deposition by Thomas Eames, of 
Cambridge, — aged more than 60 years, 
before Thomas Danforth, Asst. at 
Boston. 

1692. The Memorials of Marshfield 
Historical Society Mass. state:" In 
March 16 2 the ship "Columbia," Capt. 
Chauncey of Portsmouth, was stranded 
on the coast and nearly all on board 
perished among which were two young 
gentlemen by the name of Hildreth 
with a large property on board from 
Birmingham, England. Their remains 
were entombed here. A silver cup with 
this inscription was presented to Dr. 
Winslow by their friends: "From 



RICHARD HILDRETH Of Birmingham, 
Great Britain, to Dr. Isaac Winslow, a 
token of gratitude." 

Middlesex Probate Ofiice of the 
Register, Cambridge, Middlesex Co., 
Mass. Probate Records 1692 to 1696. 
Vol. 8, Pages 186,-187,-188. File No. 
11971, No. 8004. Richard Hildreth, 
1693. Probate Vol. 8-185. Will Vol. 
8,-186. Proved 26 May, 1693. 

"Know ye that I Richard Hildrith of 
ye towne of Chelmsford in ye County of 
Middlesex in ye Massachusetts Colony 
in New England, being aged, sick and 
weakly in body, tho sounde in mind, 
Judgement and understanding, taking 
into Consideration my own mortality, 
do herein make known my minde and 
will in the disposal! of myself, and 
Estate that Remaineth to be my own 
to Dispose. First, I beqbeath my 
precious and Immortall Soul unto 
Christ yt hath Redeemed it and my 
body to ye Grave till Christ shall raise 
it. And for my beloved wife Elizabeth 
I have obliged my naturall son Ei^hraim 
Hildreth for her maintenance in all 
refipects so long as she remaineth with 
him. And as for my Sonnes and 
Daughters children God hath given to 
me I have discharged my duty in some 
measure in all respects so that they are 
disposed in marriage, and I have been 
doing for them all as I could: But now 
my hand is cut off, because of Im- 
potency and Infirmity, I have been 
constrained to make use of what 1 had 
for ye Reliefe of my Selfe and my wife 
so that I have neither House nor Lands 
to bequeath them, But after my decease, 
my Creditors being paid and Debts 
discharged Whatsoever shall be found 
to be my Estate, I will that it be 
equally Dicided to all my Children that 
each one may have a Token of their 
ffathers Love after his Death, they or 
theirs. And after my Decease my son 
Ephraim shall pay, or cause to be paid, 



6 



to my I'Idi'st sun James llililrctli out of 
his own Kstate, the sum of Twenty 
Shillin;;s, or ono Poiintl, :iK a full froo 
)>ortion nioiL- tli;ui yo rest of the 
children. 1 have hetrusted my Son 
Kl.hraim with the use of my Kstate 
whilest 1 live and after my death to 
execute this my last Will and Testa- 
ment In Witness hereof, 1, ye said 
Kiehard llildreth have selt to my hand 
anil seal This eleventh day of February 
in yo year of our Lord lt)S()-7 

Exad perSamll I'hipps Kc«,'tr. 

his 
Richard K. llildreth [bkal] 
marke 

Inventory of ye Estate of Kiehard 
Hiltlreth, deceased, was made by 
Kphraim llilereth: appraisers Samll 
Foster, Sr., iV: Eliazar Brown, li6 May 
'A]9.i: sworn to by Ei)hraim llildreth 
l)efore Samuel IMiiiips, Ke<,'. Inventory 
of Estate included Two Cows: one Calf: 
one feather bed: one straw bed: one 
feather l>olster, 2 pillows: 2 old bolsters: 
I coal and hatt: 1 i>r Breeches: two 
Pewter platters A- 1 candlestick : Iron 
Mortar and Pestle: 2 Cleavers it 
a Flesh Hook: 1 Axe and 2 Pease 
hooks: 1 Framraell: 1 churn: 1 Iron 
Gridiron: 1 Wicker basket: 1 skill: 
one ohl <iun barrell (value 10 Shillings). 
A Wain .Scott Chest: 1 Cui)boar(l : 1 
chest : an old bedstead a Table chaire: 
8 chaires and a little Horn : a doush 
trou-rh and 1 old chest : 2 Trays and an 
old Paiie: l.Iarand Chees ton^s: four 
books: a dry cask. 

Total valuation,— 17 Pounds: 3 Shil!- 
inps: tid'*'" 

Ephraim llildreth was admitted as 
Executor by ye Hon. James Russell, 
Esq. 



1003, Feb. 23d. The slate grave 



Bton<< in the oM Chelmsfdrd burial 
ground marks the date of his di-atli, 
23d Feb., 1(15)3. Age. 88 years. 

1(5-3, Aug. 3d, "Bell Rock" Burial 
gr«)und, .Maiden, Mass. has a slate 
stone in the quarter next to the Rail- 
way station. It is marked: "Here 
Lyes yc Body of ELlZABEril wife to 
RICHARD HILDRETH Aged OS years 
Died August 3 1 !> 3" 

The existence, in Maiden, of the 
grave-stone of Elizabeth, second wife 
of Sergt Rit'hard llildreth i* ment ioned 
in two publications, viz : "Origin ami 
Genealogy of the llildreth family of 
Lowell, Mass., by (^apt. Philip Reade, 
IT, S. A , 18!)2,-page 0. lines 8, 9 and 10; 
also in "Vital Records of .Maiden/' 
1003, by Mr. Deloraine P. Corey, page 
351. 

The "Bell Rock" burial ground of 
Maiden, Mass., was visited on May 2d, 
1009, by Gen. Philip Reade, U. S. A , 
Dr. John Lewis llildreth and Mr. 
Frederick Asa llildreth. The grave- 
stone is an almost exact reproduction 
of Sergt. Richard's in the Old Chelms- 
ferd burying ground, both as to size, 
cutting, ''Tulip" ornamentation and 
lettering. It has, in addition, a foot- 
stone with the initials "E H" cut in. 
The ailjoining graves are marked: 
"Henry .Sitrague, D. 1747" and "John 
Grenland, D. 1778." Xo relationship 
between these names and dates is 
known to exist. How happened 
Elizabeth llildreth, whose husbands 
home, and, presumably, her own home, 
105r)-1003, had been Chelmsford, to be 
buried in Maiden".' She was twenty 
years younger than the Sergt: survived 
him ;") mos. 11 days. Perhaps widowed 
Elizabeth felt lonely in Chelmsford, 
hence went to Maiden. 

The foregoing artthorities cited are of 
official record. The appende<l authorities 
are mostly publications, viz: 

1820, History of Chelmsford, Rev. 



Wilkes Allen, Page 18, (ivoad to Groton 
1663, running thro' Richard Hildreth's 
yard.) 

1843, H'y. of Long Island, Town of 
Southaiui)ton, Benj. F. Thompson, 
mentions Thomas Hildreih, from Lynn, 
Mass., P. 328.) 

1857, N. E. Gen, & Antiq'n. Reg. 
Vol, 11, P. 7. (-'The American 
Hildreths," by Richard Hildreth.) 

1860, Lemuel Shattuck collection, 
Mss. ll-S-84a, »afe N, E, H. & G. S'y. 
(contains letter fr. Dr. Elisha Hunting- 
ton, Lowell, to Dr. Saml. P. Hildreth, 
M. D., Marietta O., 20th May, 1840, 
about Chelmsford Hildreths.) 

I860, ''First Settlers in N. E.," by 
James Savage, Vol. 2, Pp. 414-415, 

1860, ''Researches among the British 
Archives," Saml. G. Drake, Pp. 76-'7. 
(AVm. Hildrecke, also James Hedeicke, 
on "John and Sarah" 8th Nov., 1651, 
bound for Charles Towne, N, E.) 

1876, "Richardson Genealogy," John 
Adams Vinton, Pp. 58, 59. (Marriage 
of Ephraim Hildreth and Mercy 
Richardson, 1707.) 

1877, History of Cambridge," Lucius 
R. Paige, Pp. 57, 372, 581. (To Richard 
Hildreth a farm in Shawfhine, Billerica, 
9th Apr., 1648. Witnesses agreement 
made in Cambridge between Henry 
Dunster, etc., Mar. 1647.) 

Page 581. HILDRETH RICHARD, 
otherwise written Hildred: his wife, 
Sarah, d. 15th June, 1644: by sec. wife 
Elizabeth, he had Elizabeth, b. 21 
Sept. 1646: Sarah, b. 8th Aug. 1648, m. 
David Stone 31 Dec, 1674. RICHARD 
the first removed to Chelmsford, where 
he died about 1693, leaving widow 
Elizabeth and children James, Ephraim 
and others." 

Extract from "History of Westford, 
1659-1883" by Rev. Edwin R. Hodgman, 
1883, Page 452. 

HILDRETH. "The ancestor of this 
family was Richard, from whom all 



bearing the name in this Country have 
descended. The first notice of him is 
his admission as a freeman of the 
Colony of Mass. Bay, May 10th, 1643, 
whert he was thirty-tive (?) years old. 
There was a Richard of Cambridire 
whose wife, Sarah, died in 1644, and 
this was probably the Richard who 
settled in Woburn (?) and married 
Elizabeth, H's name appears among 
several inhabitants of Woburn (?) as 
one of the petitioners to the General 
Court for a new township, which was 
granted and called Chelmsford. On 
the supposition that Richard of Cam- 
bridge and Richard of Woburn and 
Chelmsford are identical, there can be 
little duubt that James who was an 
early settler of Chelmsford, was the 
son of Richard and Sarah, and was b-orn 
in Cambridge (?). From Chelmsford, 
they, or their children, came to AVest- 
ford, (?) and early secured a large tract 
of land on the eastern boarder." 

1879, "Genealogies and Estates of 
Charlestown," Thomas Bellows Wyman, 
Page 499. (Hilderike, (Hildreth) Good- 
man, Camb., appointed Viewer of 
Menotomy fields, 29, (3), 1649, per town 
record: called neighbor Hilderike.) 

1880, Suffolk Deeds, Book 1, Page 5, 
6, 306. 

(List of one htmdred and forty two 
passengers aboard the "John and 
Sarali" of London, John Greene, Mr, 
bound for New England, registered at 
Gravesend, 8th Nov. 1651, also, letter, 
London, lltli Nov., 1651, to Jno 
Greene, Mr of shipe "John & Sara", 
signed by Jolin Beex : Robt, Rich & 
Will Greene, recognized bef, Edwd 
Rawson, Rec'dr, : Jo. Notlock, Notary 
Public, 13th May, 1652, consigning 142 
named men to Tho: Kemble of Charles 
Towne: ship to then lade from New 
England to tlie Barbadoes, West Indies, 
for delivery to Mr. Charles Rich, Con- 
signment includes the names of James 



( 



UtHlfifko and Wm. liidrt'ckr. TlirM- 
Scot I'll [irisuiuM^ WITH mailc free l»y 
< >rili'iiincc of I'lirliiiiiU'iit daUd JOiliof 
OcluluM-, US.")!.) 

ISSa. -'llistory of Westford,." Kdwiii 
U. IIi»d;im:in I'p. r2-4r,a ":l-'4-'.".. (Si-vuii 
^'eneratioiis of the Ilildruth family have 
lived in Wi'stford.) 

1SS7. "Ivirly history of SontlKin>i>loii, 
h. I., i)y (}.M.. U .jrers ll.)\vi-ll, I'p. 2'.t7- 
'8, it 299. (Thomas Ilildri'th, dioil 
l('i57, is calliMl projjenitor of \„ I. family 
of Ilildieths: his widow, Hannah, 
niarrit'(l Jonas Hower. Cii., .Iiisu]di, 
Ilannali, .lames, I'l'tfr.! 

1890, Jan'y. N. H. 11. iV (ii-n. Rc},'., 
Vo'. 44, r. l-M. 

(Xotes intention of Henry (). llildreth 
of ("anibri(l;,^e, to prei>are a History and 
Genealogy of the Hildreth family.) 

1890, .lan'y. "Hist. Mid.llesex Co." 
Duane Hamilton Hard; Vol. 2, 
'•Chelmsford." by Henry S. Perhara. 
I'll. 24-' A- 245. (States that Richard 
Hildreth from Woburn, ('.') died 1(593, 
the Court "granted him 150 acres of land 
because of his necessitous condition." 
Uichard Hildreth petitioned in l(i(53 for 
land because he "had a wife and many 
small children, and, beiuj; a luisbanil- 
men, he was greatly disadvantaged, 
partly by the band of (Jod depriving 
him, some few years past, of the use of 
his right hand, whereby he was wholly 
disabled to labor." Regarding Kev. 
.John Fiske, Hodgman says: "b. Co. 
Suffolk, Eng'd., about 1601 : arr'd in X. 
E., 1637: Camb., Salem: Wenham: in 
16").j to Chelmsford : pbysician: 2d w., 
Eliz. Hinchnian, wid. of Edmund, 
1672. Esdras Reed, chairman, Chelms- 
ford, Sept. 22d 1654 to choose Mr. Fisk. 
"Uous 38 X 20, 3 Fire Rooms, Chimney 
built brick or stone. Fifty pounds, 
first year, and "bis maintinance as the 
Lord shall enable us in the future." 

1892, \. E. Histl. and Cenl. Register, 
Vol. 46, P. 203. 



I 





(Uook Noiiii'K. Hildn-Ui > •iMHMi'>;;y, 
by Cai.t. I'hilip ICade, \\ S. .\rmy, 
1892. 8 iiio. j'p. 71. primed al Eowtdl 
for private circulation.) 

lHit2, "Early Oraiith o| l,.ii..l in the 
WilderncHH N<irlh of Merrimiick," by 
('apt. <}eo. Aii^UHliiH (lordon, .\. .M, 
Read 2d Aug, I89i', at Lowell buforu iho 
Old Residents Histl. .Xhh'n. 8 vo. Pp. 
47, A Vol. 47, I'. :01, Jan. 1893 copy N. 
E. H. Ar O. S'y. (Refern !.. Maj. Ephraim 
Hildreth, Chelmsford Draciit. b. 9th 
.I.in , 1(580; d. 2tHli S.ij.t., 1740; son of 
l.ieut. James Hildreth, tirst of IiIh line 
to settle about 171"i, in Dracul where ho 
lived and died. 

For Draeut record, personal, fatnily, 
civil and military of .Major Ep'iraim 
Hildreth, also of bis children, some of 
his grandchildren, and other descend- 
ants, see "Origin and (lenealogy of the 
Hildreth family of Lowell, Mass.", by 
Capt. riiilip Reade, U. S. Army, pub- 
lished at 871 Lake View Ave., 1st May, 
1892. Copies given to Middlesex Co. 
city and town libraries. Cut of his 
grave stone is on page 3: cut of grave 
stone of Sergt Richard Hiblrelh, his 
grand-father, is on P. :S9, cut of deed, 
17th Nov., 17.j2, by Maj. Ephraim 
Hildretb's .sons, Ephraim, William A- 
Elijah, "To conform our luuiored father 
promis, verbally made relating to the 
Buring place, now in use in Uracutt," 
etc., is on I'. 11. Data coucerning 
"reproachful speech concerning the 
Church" in Chelnisfor<l, as recor<led by 
the Ilev. John Fiske, is fountl on P. 39, 
Ephraim Hildreth is named in Cam- 
bridge Probate Court Records, 17th 
July, 1695, as son of Lt. .lameH 
Hildreth. Further facts on Pp- SS * 
(53. The children of Maj. Kphraiin 
Hildreth were: Ephraim, jr., b. is .Ian. 
1708, D. in Draeut, 5 Aug., 1769. 
Josiah. b. 14 Feb., 1710. D. 7 Aug., 
17.'>4. Robert, b. 18 May. 1713. Mercy, 
or Mary, b. 27 Jan,, I7i:. I) !0 I)e.-,, 



1729, Zachariah, b. 26 Sept., 1718: D. 
10 Jan., 1745. Thomas, b. 5 Aug., 
1721: D., Fort Cumberland, Md., 4 Dec, 
1755. William, b. 30 Aug., 1723. D. 5 
Sept. 1813. Levi, b. 13 Oct., 1726. 
Elijah, b. 23 May, 1728: D. 14 May, 
1814. Mercy, b. 27 May, 1732. The 
first two named were born in Chelms- 
ford ; the eight named last were born 
in Dracut. 

1900, "Pioneers of Mass." Cbas. 
Henry Pope, P. 229, 

(Richard Hildreth, Frm., 10 May 
1643: Camb., Town Off 'r. 1645: rem, to 
Woburn ( ?) One of founders of Chelms- 
ford : had spcl. grant 150 acres in 1663 
on acc't, having lost right hand. His 
son James, ae 20, deposed concerning 
his father's corn 30 July, 1651, Mdx. 
Files, He died in 1688. (?) ae. 83, (?) 
N. E. Reg. XI, 7.) 

1901, Records Town & Selectmen, 
Cambridge, from 1630 to 1703. Pages 
and index: "hildreth," 350. "Bro. 
Hildreth," 61, 63. "Richard Hildreth," 
51, 56, 75, 80, 87, 90, 91, 92, 96, 102, 104. 
109, 219, "Sergent Hildreth," P. 108. 

1900, "Mass. Soldiers ife Sailors in the 
War of the Revolution." Vol. Vll, Pp. 
855 to 861. (State that --Hildreth" also 
appears under the form of Heldderick, 
Hildreth. Heldrick, Hilderick, Hildich, 
Hildrak. Hildre, Hildrich, Hildrick, 
Hildrith, Huldreth, Hilldrick. The 
following of the name are credited with 
military or naval, or both, service dur- 
ing the Revolutionary period, viz: 
Abel, Amaziah, Abijah, Ebeuezer, 
Elizah, Ephraim, Hosea, Hezekiah, 
Israel, John, James, Jonathan Jere- 
miah, .Josiah, Micah, Oliver, Peter 
Sampson, William, Zachariah. 

In "Soldiers in King Philip's War," 
by Geo. Madison Bodge, (1896) Pp. 122 
& 448, Chelmsford is credited with 
military service, prior to 24tb Jan., 
1676, viz.: Joseph Hildrick. He was 



paid 1 pd,, 1 s.. 4 d. by Treas. John 
Hull. 

Under Maj. Simon Willard,from Aug, 
7th to Jan, 25th, 1675, served Ephraim 
Hildreth, to whom was paid 2 pounds, 
7 shil., Dr. Philip Read reed, on Jan. 
25th, 1675-6 for military services, 9 
pounds, 7 shil., 4 p 

1906, The Boston ''Transcript," 
issues of Nov. 20th, Dec. 10th & Dec, 
21st, Genealogical Dept., contained 
items of inquiry, or reply, regarding 
-'Hildreth." (8986.) P. R, & C. H. A. to 
''Syracuse." "Guide to Mass. Local 
History," 1907 Charles A. Flagg, Pp. 
120, 121, 122, 123 & 128, 

1640 to 1658, "Scobell's Acts," Copy 
in the Mass. State Library, Title page: 
"A Collection of Acts and Ordinances 
of General Ufe, made in the Parliament 
begun and held at Westminster, the 
third day of Nov,, Anno 1640 and flnce, 
unto the Adjournment of Parliament 
begun and holden the 17th of Sept,, 
1656, by Henry Scobell. Esq , Clerk of 
the Parliament. Printed, London, by 
Henry Hills and John Field, Printers 
to His Highness, the Lord Protector, 
1658, P. 24. Cap. 21. Prohibiting all 
commerce between England and Scot- 
land, and enjoyning the departure of 
the Scots out of this Commonwealth, 
2d Aug. 1650. P. 143. Oct. 1650, passed 
Nov. 6. Trade to Scotland prohibited 
owing to perfidious invasion of 1648 
against the State and Commonwealth, 
foreigners warned not to assist the 
Scots, nor ships transport their goods, 
or send them arms, ammunition, 
victuals. Parliamentary fleet required 
to seize and surprise Scotch nation 
ships. Pp. 179 to 186, Cap. 27, passed 
24th Feb., 1651, "The Parliament, 
sensible of the sad effects of the late 
War, resolve to settle Peace, having had 
good experiences of the Affections of 
the people to this present Government 
by their ready Assiscanceiu the defence 



10 




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thereof against CHARLS STUART, 
son of tlio lato tyrant, and tlu' forcts 
lately invadiiiK this .Nation under his 
Command: and Ix'ing much allllcted i 
witli the fenfe of tiie mlferable and 
fad rfffcts which the late unnatural 
War lialii (iruduced: and rololving 
next to tiie Glory of God and the Ad- 
vancement of the kingdom of Jesus 
Chi 1st, to make no other ufe of the 
many Victories the Lord In mercy 
hafii vouchfafed unto them," etc., etc.. 
".All Treasons, Felonies, etc., com- 
mitted before 3d Seyt., 1(>51, (that Is, 
prior to the battle of Worcester), and 
not heretofore excepted, are Pardoned. 
High Treason, (other than for words 
only), and all levying of War, Rebel- 
lions, Infurrections, and all Consjjlri- 
cies Tralterously had, committed, etc.. 
etc.. excepted, .And also excepted con- 
jurations and witchcrafts: Contribu- 
tors and .Alders of the Irish Rebellion 
excepted." 

P. 288,— Act passed 12th Apr., lt;r)4, 
confirmed Anno l<)5<i, — Cap. 10 ex- 
cludes from Pardon and Grace to the 
peorle of Scotland, HENRIETTA 
M.ARI.A, the Relict and late Queen of 
the late King CHARS, deceased, (be- 
headed 30th Jan., 1(^49), likewise ex- 
cluding James, late Duke of Hamilton, 
deceased, and many others also ex- 
cel ted. inc'uding Crawford, Llndfey, 
Colender, Morfhal, Kelley, Lowden- 
dall, Sraforth, Athol. Kenmoure. Lorn. 
.Argulle, .Machlln, Montgomery. Spyrle. 
Crar.fton. Slncleer. Dalyel, Mlddleton, 
Ncwbuigh, Bangany. Thomfon, Womat, 
Narier. Gencarn: — (for list see P. 
280. Scobell's Acts) entitled "Pardon & 
Grace to the people of Scotland for all 
matters done in relation to the War." 

The General Pardon of all Treasons. 
Felonies. Offences. Penalties, Seques- 
tiations, committed before 3d Sept.. 
Ifi51, — (1. e.. battle of Worcester), and 
not herein excepted; — says: "For all 



acts of hostility not to be (|ueHtloned; 
excepting all tianspoitatlon of guns, 
ordnance, shot or gun-metal into any 
parts beyond the seas without llcenfe: 
suld acts of hostility and Injuiles. 
whether between the late King iind 
the Lords and Commons then In Par- 
liament: or In the late Wars on and 
after the 18th Jan.. ICSl: shall not 
be called in qurstion whatfoever be 
the (luality of the perfon. or of what- 
soever kinde or degree, and no men- 
tion be made thereof in time to come 
in Judgement or Judicial proceed- 
ings." 

REGARDING LIEUT. JA.MES HII>- 
DRETH. eldest son of SERGT. RICH- 
ARD IlILDRETH: born IC'U: Scotch 
prisoner, 8th Nov., Ifi51. with 141 
other Scotch prisoners of War aboard 
the ship "John & Sarah," bound for 
N. E. .Married, at Dorchester, by .Maj. 
Atherton to Margaret Ward. 1st June 
l().'^f»: Freemar. 3d May, 1665: Died. 
Chelmsfoid, .Mass., 14th .Apr.. 16!i5. 
First heard from in Cambridge. .Aug. 
7th. 16.51. — case of Richard Hildreth. 
plaintiff against Samll P^ldrid. 



The Commonwealth & Protectorate 
period was 1649-1660. The first part 
of the Stuart period was 1603-1649. 
The second part of the Stuart period 
was 1660-1714. The town of Dunbar 
is in Scotland. North of Berwick: 
East of Glasgow: .North of the rivers 
Clyde and Tweed. See "Old Mortal- 
ity." Waverly novel series, by Sir 
Walter Scott. Cornet Grahame. Chap. 
.\1V. for "The Race of Dunbar.— The 
Rout." The battle of Dunbar was 
fought on 3d Sept.. 16.')0. The battle 
of Worcester who fought on 3d Sept.. 
16.t1. In "History of the English 
People." by John Richard Green. 
(1880). Vol. (II, Pp. 2T0-1; we are told 



11 



that after the execution of Montrose, 
21st May, IfiSO,— Charles accepted the 
Presbyterian conditions: that is, sub- 
scribed to the Covenant and acknowl- 
edged the tyranny of his father and 
idolatry of his mother. "The Coun- 
cil recalled Cromwell from Ireland: 
Leslie was defeated at Dunbar, 3d 
Sept., 1650: 10,000 prisoners were 
taken & 3,000 slain. With the over- 
throw of Leslie, the power of Argyle 
and the narrow Presbyterians whom 
he had led, came to an end." 

"Ex. Cromwell's Scotch Campaigns," 
—1650, '51, by W. S. Douglas, (1898) 
Pp. 112-113, Chap. V: "The Race of 
Dunbar, the Rout: Judges iii, 26-29. 
That one Old Testament passage had 
more to do with the battle of Dunbar 
than anybody had hitherto guessed. 
David Leslie missed the best chance 
that ever man had of beating Oliver 
Cromwell, Tuesday, 3d Sept. 1650, at 
the battle of Dunbar. As to casualties, 
let us accept the computation of near 
3,000 Scots killed. Note the Conquer- 
ors' proclamation. Two thousand colors 
were taken, and 160 of them hung in 
Westminster Hall and thirty cannon; 
15,000 stands of arms taken. Of the 
10,000 prisoners, 3,000 were told off by 
Sir Arthur Hazelrig into the Durham 
cathedral: 1,000 were sent by Crom- 
well, as a present to the Countess of 
Winton, a Catholic lady; and the last 
state of most of them was transporta- 
tion, over-sea to America, where Dr. 
Samuel Rawson Gardiner, Fellow of 
All Souls College, Oxford, assures us 
"a moiety throve and lived happily 
ever after." 

On page 564 Gardiner says in "A 
Student's History of England," (1891), 
"On Sept. 3d, the anniversary of the 
battle of Dunbar, viz., Worcester, 
Cromwell absolutely destroyed the 
Scottish Army. Those who were not 
slain were taken prisoners, and many 



of the prisoners sent as slaves to 
Barbadoes." 

In "Oliver CromwellV Dr. Gardiner 
says: "There was no water on the 
Doon Hill. Provisions for 23,000 men 
must have been hard to come by in 
that bleak region. Never again did a 
Scottish Army take the field to im- 
pose its religion upon a recalcitrant 
England. The clergy and their adher- 
ents exercised much influence on the 
Doon Hill of Dunbar." 

In "History of Scotland," by Andrew 
Lang, the author gives the date of the 
battle of Dunbar as 3d Sept., 1650. On 
page 242-3, he says: "The Clergy's 
Counsel prevailed. They had purged 
the Army of many of its best. At 
Dunbar, the whole English line drove 
back the Scots, despite the resistance, 
probably, made by Argyllshire High- 
landers under Campbell of Lawers. 
The malignant Covenanters, the Kirk, 
the Committee of Estates and David 
Leslie got the kind of beating which 
Wellington ascribed to the gallant and 
loyal Blucher at Ligny. The Cavaliers 
of Scotland were not defeated because 
neither they nor 'Royalist Civil Dig- 
nitaries,' to whom Mr. Carlyle wildly 
attributes the movement of Leslie 
down Doon Hill, were allowed to be 
present. 'Purging' was done by the 
ministers, and Leslie's army suffered 
the loss of its best, because of the 
bigotry of a lot of preachers." 

"Balfour names eighteen Colonels 
and other men of note who fell. Of 
the Infantry, 10,000 were taken, and 
some 3,000 killed or wounded. Of 
Cromwell's prisoners, many died of 
hunger or of dysentery caused by eat- 
ing raw cabbages: the rest were sent 
to New England, where they were well 
treated." 

Among these Covenanters, leal unto 
extremists then in the west of Scot- 
land, like Strachan and Ker — defeated 



12 



by Lambert at Hamilton, was Lh-iit. 
.lames Hildrotli, eldest son of Seigt. 
Uicliard: one \Vm Hildretli was also 
iniluded in the list of Scotch prison- 
ers aboard the ".loliii & Sarali." 

Assume that Sernt. Kiehard liildreth 
came to New I'Ingland prior to H",4;! be- 
cause he wanted to. leaving his boy 
James in his Scotland home, it is not 
assumption, but has be»'n demon- 
strated, that the eldest son of Itichard, 
viz.: Lieut. James. — came to Mass., not 
necessarily because he wanted to come 
— but because he had to come. He 
came because, by reason of militaiy 
service against the man whom Wool- 
sey charged "To throw away ambi- 
tion." he was deiiorted as a i)risoner- 
ol-war. Such removals are still in 
vogue. This. then, is the early record 
of James Hildreth. 

A soldier. Scotch forces. — at the 
battle of Dunbar, 3d Sept., ItiBO; per- 
haps, also, battle of Worcester, Scotch 
forces,— Sept. 3d, 1651. 

Transported to Charles Towne on 
ship "John & Sarah," from Gravesend, 
11th Nov., 1(>51. 

Swore to his own age in Cambridge, 
Mass., where his father then lived and 
held a Town office: case "Hildreth 
ag. Eldrid." Age 20 years. Date of 
testimony, 7th Aug., Ifi51. Married to 
Margaret Ward at Dorchester by Maj. 
Atherton, 1st June, 1(>50. 

Freeman 3d May, 16t)5. He was a 
resident of Chelmsford, when certified 
to by the minister and selectmen as 
entitled to 'publick sufferage." He did 
not personally present himself on May 
3d ir.GS, to the Boston, or Salem, 
Court. His name in Vol. IV, Part 2, 
P. 582, Records ^^^ss. Bay Colony, 
has a star before it, and an explana- 
tory foot note to the effect that James 
Heildiick was "vouched for." He died 
in Chelmsford 14th Apr.. Ifi05. We can 
conjecture why he scrupled about tak- 



I Ing the Freeman's oath until more 
than fourti-en yeurH after hiH arrival 
in a Colony wliere the Puritan rliiirch 
was the creator rather than the crea- 
tun- of the state. Probably he had 
(-(iiivictions of Ills own, thiH canny 
Scotchman, not wholly In ac<-ord with 
those of the Itev. John F'lhke whom 
Sergt. Richard Hildreth trU-d, In H'.TO, 
to get replaced by another mlnlKtcr. 
The settlers of N. K. dreaded herc-HV 
more than they dreaded Indians. All 
the Congregational churches of New 
England stood for four generations on 
tlie Cambridge Platform, adopted in 

' ir>48, — framed by the Synod of Mass.. 

1 Plymouth, Conn., and New Haven. 

Extract from Calendar of State 
Papers, domestic series. iri.')0, pre- 
served In the State Paper department 

I of Her Majesty's Public Record office, 
edited by Mary Ann Everett Green, 
publislied under the direction of the 
Gt. Brit'n. Master of Rolls, and with 
the sanction of Her Majesty's Secre- 
tary of State for the Home dep't.. Lon- 
don, (ISTC), P. 423, Vol. XI. Nov. 11, 
1650. Council of State. Day's Pro- 
ceedings. (7) "To write Sir Arthur 
Hesilrigge to deliver 150 Scotch prison- 
ers to Augustine Walker, master of the 
Unity, to be transported to New Eng- 
land. (8) Sir Arthur Hesilrlgge's 
letter to be reported to Parliament, 
that they may give order thereupon." 
(Sir Arthur Hesilrigge. or Haslerigg, 
was a member of the Council of State. 
Gov'r. of Carlisle on and after 2oth 
Feb., 1650. His arrest. 4th Jan., 1642, 
associates his name with those of John 
Hampden, John Pym, Danzll Holies 
& Wm. Strode.) 

Such books as Sir D. Dalrymple's 
"Tracts relative to the History and 
Anti(|uity of Scotland, 1242-1700:" and 
Sir Walter Scott's prose works. "Tales 
of a Grandfather." Vol. 22-26. may now 
possess renewed interest to us Hil- 



13 




CAPT. PHILIP READE, U S. Army, 1889, the Compiler. 



dreths. No more fascinating Scotch 
historian lias ever lived. 

It is not known to the compiler 
whether Lieut. James Hildreth used 
tobacco, drank rum, or professed radi- 
cal religious doctrines. The terms of 
orthodoxy or unorthodoxy may, or may 
not, have meant vital principles to 
him. The span of his life may have 
familiarized him with the names of 
Ann Hutchinson, Roger Williams, 
Samuel Gorton, and the Quakers. So 
far as known, he was an exponent of 
religious liberty. His record in Mid- 
dlesex County is not identified with re- 
ligious discord, conflict, antagonism, 
resistance, or incompatibility. Igno- 
rance exists as to what his opinions 
were regarding time, place, or nature 
of baptism of infants. His father, the 
Sergeant, and Mr. Henry Dunster, first 
President of Harvard College, ex- 
pounded upon baptism, etc., four or 
five years after Lieutenant James 



joined his father in Cambridge; but it 
is of record that (1) Richard, (2) 
James, and (3) Ephraim were of the 
founders of this nation, even as (4) 







''W 




Grave-Stone of ESDRAS READE, now in Copps 
Hill Burying Ground. 

Elijah, and (5) Israel, were of the 
creators of this republic, which some 
of their descendants have aided to 
preserve. He was not an "Adven- 
turer." He did not come to Mass. at 



14 



liis own piivuto pxponse. Ho liad but 
two homos in Middlesex Co.. \i/., Cam- 
l)iidKe and Clieiinsford. lie was one 
of tlie "old families" of .\. 10. On .May 
IKtli. lt;;n. the fhst eouit of election in 



^ 




"HILDRETr. 
J AGED OOYEAr': 



Slate Grave Stone of Sergt. RICHARD HIL- 
DRETH, Chelmsford burying grounds, erected in 
1693. (From Capt. Philip Reade's publication of 
May I, 1892, "'Origin and Genealogy of the Hildreth 
family of Lowell, Mass.") 




.->' 



(^ 



W! HlLDM . 







Slate Grave Stone of Maj. EPHRAIM HIL- 
DRETH, in the Hildreth burying ground Lowell, 
Mass., erected in 1740. He was grandson of Sergt. 
Richard Hildreth and son o( Lieut. James Hildreth. 
(From Capt. Philip Reade's publication of May i, 
i8qj. 'Origin and Genealogy of the Hildreth 
family of Lowell, Mass. 

Mass. ordered "that the body of the 
commons might be preserved of good 
and honest men, no persons be admit- 



ted to tlie freedom of tlie bod> |niiiii<-. 
but Kucli as Were inembeiri of Home of 
the churchPH within its limits." Thin 
was enacted the year of James HII- 
dreth's birtli. 

In "Drake's Founders of New Kiik- 
land." iip. 7li-7:5, we road a letter of 
Mr. .lohn Cotton, minister of Hoston, 
addressed to Lord General Cromwell, 
dated Boston, N. Kngland, L'Hth of the 
5th, ir».'>l, regarding "the Scots wiiom 
God delivered into your hands at Uin- 
barre," etc. In "Hist, of Lexington." 
by Charles Hudson, convictions of that 
author are given regarding the status 
of the Scotch prisoners sent to N. E. 
by Cromwell. Tiie substance of It Is 
that all were banished from their na- 
tive Scotland for espousing the cause 
of Charles I. of Kn.irland. In "Book of 
the Lockes," John Goodwin Locke, 
Boston, 1853, gives details of deporta- 
tion. In "Genealogist's Guide." Ilt03. 
Geo. W. Marshall merely refers to the 
N. E. Reg., Vol. XI. P. 7. 

SOME HISTORICAL DATES,.— The 
death of Queen Elizabeth, n;it:{. 
marked the end of the Tudor dynasty 
and the union of the English and 
Scotch crowns under James I. of Eng- 
land {James VI. of Scotland), son of 
Mary Queen of Scots, styled "King of 
Great Britain." The new translation 
of the Bible was determined on be- 
tween the prelates of the Church of 
England and the dissenting ministers: 
completed in HUl. Richard Hildreth 
was born IfiOS, the year tJiat a fanat- 
ical Roman Catholic, Robert Catesby, 
projected the Gun Powder Plot, alleg- 
ing that the King unduly favored his 
own countrymen. 

In ItKM), Jaim>s I. grants a patent to 
the London & Plymouth Co.'s. James 
I. died In 1625, and Charles I., the sec- 
ond Stuart, age 25, ascends the throne, 
marrying Princess Henrietta of 



15 







The Hildreth Homestead, built in 1791. Dracut, — now Lowell, Mass., the home of four generations of 
Hildreths, — Elijah, Lieut. Israel, Dr. Israel and the progeny of the last named. (From Capt. Philip Reade's 
publication of May 1, 1892, "Origin and Genealogy of the Hildreth family of Lowell, Mass.") 



France. Three years later, the Scots, 
being refused their petition against the 
Liturgy, entered into a new "Cove- 
nant," or civil and religious conven- 
tion. In 1628 Mass. Bay Colony was 
founded. Trouble in Scotland in 1637 
occasioned by Charles' plan to over- 
throw Scotch Presbyterian Church and 
enforce Episcopacy and English Lit- 
urgy. Charles I. is forced to assent to 
the Petition of Right, directed against 
abuse of Royal authority. In 1638 
Solemn League and Covenant in Scot- 
land against the Episcopal government 
of the Church and the royal authority. 
National Covenant published by the 
Scots and Episcopacy abolished. In 
1639 Scots take up arms for the Cove- 
nant. They invade England. In 1640, 
— after an intermission of eleven 
years, — the king assembled Parlia- 
ment. In 1642, war between Charles 
I. and Parliament. Attempted "arrest 
of the five members," John Hampden 
and Sir Arthur Hasilrigge included. 



Battle of Edgehill between Royalists 
and the Parliament army, followed, in 
1643, by Calsgrave, and, in 1644, by 
Marston Moor. The N. E. Colonies es- 
tablish a Confederacy, and RICHARD 
HILDRETH is made a Freeman, 2d 
session of Salem Court. (See Records 
Mass. Bay Colony, Vol. II, P. 293.) 
Oliver Cromwell first came into no- 
tice, 1645. Battle of Naseby between 
Charles I. and the Parliament army 
under Fairfax and Cromwell. In 1647 
the King is delivered up by the Scots 
to the English Parliament for a stipu- 
lated sum. 1648, Scots take up arms 
for Charles I., are defeated by Crom- 
well, who "purges" the Long Parlia- 
ment. 

The religious constitution of the N. 
E. Colonies, with the ecclesiastical 
laws, is fixed by the Synod at Cam- 
bridge, Mass., 1649. Charles the First 
of England is beheaded at Whitehall, 
at the age of fifty-one years. Parlia- 
ment abolishes kingly power, and 



16 









UL 



Photographic reproduction from page ajg. Vol. I, records of the town of Dracut, Province of Mass. It 
is a deed of the HilJreth brothers. Ephr;ilm, William and Elijah. — sons of Maj. Ephraim Hildreth.— twelve 
years after the Major's death, conveying to the town as a free gift, the "Burying place" now known as the 
Hildreth cemetery of Lowell. Mass. (From Capt. Philip Reade's publication of May i, i8fli. "Origin and 
Genealogy of the Hildreth family of Lowell, Mass."') 



the English Commonwealth begins. 
Charles, the Prince of Wales, is ac- 
knowledged as King by the Presbyte- 
rian Scottish Covenanters. IfiSO, fatal 
expedition of Montrose in support of 
Charles II. in Scotland. Victory of 
Cromwell over the Scots, under Leslie, 
at Dunbar, 3d Sept. On 3d Sept.. 1651. 
Cromwell overwhelms the army of 
Charles II. at Worcester. Charles es- 
capes to the Continent, and LT. 
JAMES HILDRETH, a captured 



Scotch prisoner-of-war. is deported to 
Charles Towne. Mass. 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION. 
Tlu' aiitiior of the advice. "If you 
don't know history, make history." Is 
a pernicious member of society. What 
historians want, or should want, is the 
truth. In quest of information regard- 
ing Sergt. Richard Hildreth. yeoman, 
the following sources have been con- 
sulted among others, viz.: 



17 



(From Capt. Philip Reade's publication of May i, i»92, "Origin and Genealogy of the Hildretfi family of 

Lowell, Mass.") 

l&ttOto tdl IWttl b? i?)5re if)rercnt5. That 

in CoDTidcrarioii of the juft Siim of J'ntt/L yi^^Tu^iT^ p-tf-u n»> 
-/' /■ ^ /I'fim^i — lO'T-ne^ in Hand paid before the Delivery hereof, by 

J'/fic Q? '^U^ryr^^TV the Receipt whereof J do hereby acknowledge, 
n^e given, granted, Tjargained, and lold, and do by there Prefenis, give, gram, "bargaio, 
fell, aliene^^and fully, foely and abfolutely convey aad confirm unto A-4ri' 
the faid jIj-)-a^£ ^^'^ut'/i^ A^:f Heirs and Ailigas forever. 






■^0 FjatJC anU td ijOHl th* tald graiired end bargained Prcmifes, fog€tTier 
with all their Appurtenances, fr?e of all Encumbrar :er whaifoevcr, to ^.^^ the faid 

<^s an abfolutelEftate of Igheritance io Fee Sin-fle forcier. Aod J/ the laid 

i£il.^'L-^0^iClF0^ • io^ ?y^uy,it\^ Oyt^ Heifs, Ejtecutors 

and^Admiaiftrators. do Covenant and Engage the ab^-de*ifed Ptcftiifes to ^k.»^ the faid 
^^^e ^r^l^^'JuJ- -7- Heirs and Affign.. 

^aialt the lawful Claims and Demands of any Perfoo or Perfons whatfccver, torcvcc 
hereafter TO WARRANT, Secure and Defcud by ihcfe Prefects. 

^n BUitncfe tsljcrcof, ^ the faid ^ui^'A^ yi^^CeCA^ (^ 

have hereunto ^O-ffrut Hand and Seal this StZ^ttW — ^ Day of tT^ ^^C -^ 
Anno Domini One X*io"'^'°<' ^f^^" Hundted an d Seventy e^^^^J^t^ 'flilit iu Xh» 

5»enf</, S^flW fl«<i Delivered -^j,.. / //X/'V "7^^ ( — — ) 

M i>r5/S«# of OCl/oA /tltJ^>>~eJA. SKAL. I 

perfonally appeared and owned thjs loftrumeat CO b<i 
,/^ free Aft aadiJeed. fi^/tr^-^.^"^ 




J/:\ fm^^<^'fL^^^ufi.UiU> 



Photographic reproJucfion, — original now in the possession of Mrs. Rowena Hildreth Reade, 871 Lake 
View Ave , Lowell, Mass. — recorded pa^e 2, Book 80, registry of deeds, southern dist. of Middlesex, Cam- 
bridge. It is a conveyance, 3rd Apr., 1777, by Elijah Hildreth, gentleman, of Dracut, to his son. Israel Hil- 
dreth, yeoman, for the consideration of 300 pounds, certain lands and buildings, one half at date of convey- 
ance and the remainder at decease. In all succeeding town records, Lieut. Isriel Hildreth was styled 
"gentleman.'' He served in the Revolutionary War as a Privateersm^n, etc. Was father of Dr. Israel 
Hildreth. The land on the Merrimack river is owned, now, by Rowena Hildreth Reade. 

18 



(From "Origin and Genealogy of the HiUrt-ih family of Lowell. Mass.. publi»h<-J by Capl. Philip Reade, 

U' S. Army, isl of May. 1842.) 



^^__^ ^^^.^ -7i:=r7t^-^ ^^^ 







19 



J /<- "-^^ *-^T^<S*--^| 



-^^^.-^ 








/yO^d^xLr, 



a-fnu/n 






^fl o-rrl^:) 



(J.<^v^ 




y' 























f^^- - .} VIU^ 




Shay's rebellion, latter part of June 1786, in western Mass., caused troops (o be called out under Gen. 
Benj. Lincoln to suppress the insurgents. On pajjes 206-7-8. Vol III, Dracut town records, appears an oath 
of allegiance to the Commonwealth. Foregoing is a photographic reproduction thereof. Various past 
scriptums were added running along into the year 178!*, and later. The original oath is in the hand writing 
of General William Hildreth, is signed by him : also by his sons, Wm. and Micah Hildreth, Lieut. On 22 
March, 1776; (see Vol. 194, page 304, Revolutionary Rolls, Mass. Archives), William Hildreth, of Dracut, 
declined commission of first Major, of the 7th regt. of miliiia, in the County of Middlesex, because of "the 
consciousness of being unqualified and unequal to that important post."' The fourth signature to the Oath 
of Allegiance is that of Lieut. Israel Hildreth, brother to Gen. William, who is always spoken of by his 
grand-daughter, Mrs. Rowena Hildreth Reade, as "Squire'' or "Justice" Hildreth. The twelfth signature 
is Josiah Hildreth, the son of Josiah, second son of Mrs. Ephraim Hildreth of Dracut. 

20 



Town record proct'i'diiiRS. parllcn- 
hiily Cuinbridge, Clu'lriisfoid and Dra- 
cut. 

Cliuifli locoids, paitlculai ly liiiths, 
iiianiaKi'S and deaths. 

Middlesex and Suffolk Co. records, 
deeds, probates and proceedings, In- 
{•Iiidinf; eriniinal and civil records. 

Itecords of the Court of Assistants, 
Colony of the .Mass. Bay, from 1«>3() 
on (publish«Hl in linil), Colonial 
records. 

Proprietors' records of towns. Town 
histories, particularly Cambridge, 
Chelmsford, Dracut and neighboring 
towns. 

I.,ibrary of the Commonwealth of 
Mass.: Boston Public; Athenaeum: 
Bostonian S'y: St. Botolph and Union 
Club; Harvard Univ.; Haydn's Dic'y 
of Dates; Hurst's do; Heilprins' Uni- 
veisal H'y; Chronology, Key to H'y 
(Putnam's); American Annals, Abiel 
Holmes, 1S0.5; Thos. Prince (1720); 
Establishment of Mr. Geo. Emery Lit- 
tlefield, f.T Coinhill. Boston Antiquar- 
ian and Historian; N. E. H. & G. S'y, 
18 Someiset St., Boston. 



A CONFESSION. 
The present coiui.iler of the Hil- 
dreths of Middlesex Co., Mass., con- 
fesses that, up to about IStJo, his mid- 
dle name was Hildreth. When at the 
romantic age of sixteen, he droi ped 
his maternal middle name. This with- 
out the knowldge, or sanction, of his 
pa:ents. He now confesses that if his 
middle name had been Montmorency, 
or Vere-de-Vere, or something highfa- 
lutin, he probably would have abbre- 
vi;;ted his fust name and written out 
the a;istocratic midile cotn imen in 
full; but such a name as "Philip Hil- 
dreth Reade," or "P. Hildreth Reade," 
then looked homely to him, so he 
elided it. 



A young lady second couhIm of njine 
wishes to know what the Hildreth 
Coat-of-ArmB is, and wlietlier I liave 
engraved It on anything. <»r have a 
suit of armor. 

Sadly I re|)ly that the only suit of 
armor I own is one worn by a More 
Datto with whom the U. S. forces came 
in hostile contact In .Mindanao Island 
In HI0.1. It's too small for a Hildreth. 

No escutcheon known to a Heraldic 
college can, so far as the writer knows, 
he clainu'd by any descc-ndant of the 
Mass. Hildreths, unless. Indeed. It be 
a Scotch thistle, holly, furze, heath. 
cranberry, broom, pine tree, boxwood, 
moss, junij-er, ash tree, fern, gorse. 
gilly flower, pine or crab apple tree. 

Our first Richard, born lfi05, — also 
his son James. — was a scribe. — could 
write his own name, and worked for a 
living. This is more than can be said 
of Richard the Plantagenet King (llSii- 
1)9), or of many knightly gentlemen 
armed cap a tie, who looked with 
contempt u: on commoners and prole- 
tariats. The prediction is hazarded 
that none of Richard Hildreth's male 
progenitors ever wore Iron pots on 
their heads; wo:e metal sheathed 
trowsers; shielded themselves; or 
jousted for a faire ladye's smile. Sergt. 
Dick Richard worked in the marshes 
of ."\Ienotomy and on the slopes of 
Chelmsford: he never ascended to the 
mountain tops. He was a Yeoman; one 
of the tollers of the times. There was 
no romance In his record. When he. 
and his wife, Sarah, emigrated to New 
England, Jane, their first-born daugh- 
ter. — slie who man led Robert Proc- 
tor, — could not have been over sixteen 
There could not have been much oi 
romance about the migration. Ships 
were wind-Impelled In those days. Dis- 
comforts must have been irksome and 
numerous. 



21 



WAS SERGT. RICHARD HILDRETH 
A GENTLEMAN? 
A gentleman is one who exercises 
a careful consideration for the feelings 
of others; who never does, or says, 
anything in the presence of men that 
he would not say, or do, in the pres- 
ence of women. He does not always 
live in the phosphorescent light re- 
flected from the bones of long-buried 
ancestoi s. His Psalm of Life is that 
of H. W. Longfellow's, viz.: 

"Tell me not in mournful numbers, 
'Life is but an empty dream!' 

For the soul is Dead that slumbers, 
And things are not what they seem. 

"Life is real! Life is earnest! 

And the grave is not its goal; 
'Dust thou art, to dust returnest,' 

Was not spoken of the Soul. 

"Not enjoyment, and not sorrow. 
Is our destined end or way; 

But to Act, that each to-morrow 
Finds us farther than to-day. 

"Art is long, and Time is fleeting; 

And our hearts, though stout and 
brave, 
Still, like mufl!ied drums, are beating 

Funeral marches to the grave. 

"In the world's broad field of battle. 

In the bivouac of Life, 
Be not like dumb, driven cattle! 

Be a hero in the strife! 

"Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! 

Let the dead Past bury its dead! 
Act, — act in the living Present! 

Heart within, and God o'erhead! 

"Lives of great men all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime. 

And, departing, leave behind us 
Footsteps on the sands of time; 



"Footprints, that perhaps another, 
Sailing o'er life's solemn main, 

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, 
Seeing, shall take heart again. 

"Let us, then, be up and doing. 
With a heart for any fate; 

Still achieving, still pursuing, 
Learn to labor and to wait." 

That Sergt. Richard Hildreth was 
kind-hearted is proved by his testi- 
mony 8th Oct., 1654, in the Jane Evins 
case. That he was a loving father is 
evinced by the terms of his will; its 
terms were, in part: — "Whatsoever 
shall be found to be my Estate, I will 
that it be equally Divided to all my 
Children, that each one may have a 
Token of their father's Love after his 
Death, they or theirs." (11th Feb., 
1686-7). In that will, apart from the 
professions of religious faith, — com- 
mon to the period, — there is a philo- 
sophic view of life and a loving ten- 
derness that is pathetic. The hus- 
band, father, and grandfather is seen 
through the lines of the document. 
The aged man had fought his last 
fight; he was maimed, but retained 
mental vitality. Considered as a whole, 
the phrasing, orthography, punc- 
tuation, etc., of the will, is markedly 
in advance of the compositions of the 
period. Tlie will is signed: "Richard 
Hildreth, — his R marke." The seal is 
of red wax, stamped by embossed de- 
signs, not understood by the writer 
of these lines. In outline, they re- 
semble a coin impression, or, perhaps, 
achievement Per saltire, — being divid- 
ed by a diagonal dexter and a diag- 
onal sinister crossing each other at 
the centre of the seal. The achieve- 
ments outline an arquebuse, or match- 
lock, or flintlock; a crescent, dexter 
side, base; an urn on dexter side. On 
sinister side, a heart crossed by a line. 



22 



The points are obscured by a inotect- 
iiig cover of tbln silk. It is a patiietic 
will. After mention of liis "bi'loved 
wile, lOIizabetli," tlie dociiinenl poes 
oii:^ — "And as for niy Sonnes and 
Dausliters children God hatli Kiven to 
me I have discharged my duty in some 
measure in all r(<spects so that they 
are disposed in marriage, and I have 
been doing for them ail as I could: 
Hut now my liand is cut off, because 
of Impotency and Infirmity. 1 have 
been constrained to nialte use of what 
I liad for ye Reliefe of my Seife and 
my wife so that I have neither House 
nor Lands to beciueath them." It is 
the testimony of an honest man. In 
its terms, it spec! lies: "Rut after my 
decease, my Creditors being paid and 
Debts discharged, . . . my son Eph- 
raim shall pay, or cause to be paid, 
to my eldest son .Tames Ilildreth out 
of liis own Estate, the sum of Twenty 
Shillings, or one Pound, as a full free 
portion more than ye rest of the cliil- 
dren." 

Was Sergt. Richard Hildretb can- 
tankerous? Even his slate headstone, 
in Chelmsford grave-yard, is set cat- 
a-cornered. Is it typical of his life, 
or symbolical? He lived in Cambridge- 
Chelmsford such a serious life, free 
from frivolities, we doubt if any one 
ever called him "Sergt. Dick," or just 
plain "Dick." 

THE TAINT OF MILITARISM. 
Sergt. liichard Hildreth was no 
saint: that's certain; that he was very 
human is equally certain. Grandpa 
Dick held one military office, anyway: 
that of Sergeant of Militia. The 
writer of these lines held the same 
title, forty-five years ago, — and isn't 
ashamed of it. either. It is observed 
that the first mention made of Richard 
Hildreth as "Sergeant" in the town 
records of Cambridge was 1654-5, 



Ist mo., iL'th day. Abiel HolmeH in 
"Am'n. Annals." Vol. 1, P. 359, 8uy» 
that, in It'iftlJ, prej)aration8 for war 
with the Dutch were made In .Muhh. 
This colony was to send 335 men. 
Miles Standisli, of Plymouth, was ap- 
pointed Captain within that Juris- 
diction. Sergt. Dick Hildreth also 
held several civil offices, such as 
Viewer. Surveyor of Highways, gath- 
erer of fines, Cow-common-er. Towns- 
man, etc., at Cambridge. The pray- 
ing Indian magistrate, Wauban. was a 
contemporary of his. None of these 
holdings, or functions, are prejudicial 
except, perhaps, that of a Militia 
title and of which Cousin Arthur 
Hildreth, son of the historian Richard 
Hildreth, makes so much good natured 
fun. 

But Sergeant Dick came into tills 
world in ir.o.'), (Guy Fawke's day), 
which, according to the accepted 
formula, is ten generations back. 
Take the man who died at Clielms- 
ford '2?,d Feb., 1693, and see how many 
progenitors he had ten generations 
back. Here Is the result: Two parents, 
four grandparents, eight great-grand- 
parents, sixteen, etc.. thirty-two. sixty- 
four, one hundred and twenty-eight, 
two hundred and fifty-six, five hundred 
and twelve, one thousand and twenty- 
four. So we of the tenth generation 
are onfy one one thousand and twenty- 
fourth, l-1024th part of Sergt. Dick 
Hildreth. hence we should not, ALL 
of us, have the taint of militarism 
thrown up against our record or char- 
acter. What are the remaining one 
thousand and twenty-three parts of us? 

The reciulslties and (luallflcatlons 
for military office in Mass.. In Sergt. 
Dick Hlldreth's time, are suggested 
by the following extract. viz.: 
"Middlesex Court Records. Vol. 1.. P. 
207, E. Cambridge, Apr. 3d. 1660. 
Present on the Bench, Ri Belllngham, 



2:S 



Esq., Dep'y Govr. : Major Simon Will- 
ard, Mr. Ri: Russell, T'r. and Thos. 
Danforth, Recorder. . . . Extract. . . . 
"Thos. Addams, Chelmsford, Sergeant. 
. . . Whereas Thos. Addams being 
prsented at the last County Court for 
the eldest Sergeant and Chief Mili- 
tary officer at Chelmsford, — the court 
judged not to accept of him by reason 
of some informaccon then presented 
to the Court, signifying that the said 
Addams had manifested himselfe Hesi- 
tant as to the professed order and 
practice of the churches of Christ in 
these places. Also whereas the said 
Thomas Addams hath personally ap- 
peared at this Court, and has solemnly 
ingaged himselfe that he will not by 
any means, directly or indirectly, dis- 
seminate any (of) his principles or 
notions contrary to what the Churches 
in these places do professedly owne 
and pratice, but will by all due means 
according to his place and power seek 
advancement to the peace of the place 
and power where he now liveth, and 
all other Churches of Christ in this 
jurisdiction by countenancing and en- 
couraging all the wayes of the Lord 
and ye admdstraccon of his house 
according to the platform of Church, 
discipline, expressly owned by the 
Churches in these places as afore- 
said. 

"The Court do Judge meet to allow 
and accept of the said Thomas Addams 
according to the eleccon of the said 
Towne to be their eldest Sergeant." 

It is a deep satisfaction, these days, 
to know that the Oliver Cromwell 
"purging" system does not prevail in 
our present military establishment. 

In 1644, the Rev. Mr. Wilson, of 
Boston, among other donors, gave a 
thousand pounds for the procurement 
of artillery. As the Anabaptists be- 
gan to grow troublesome, the Mass. 



Colony law of 1644 was passed against 
them. It read as follows: — 

"If any person within this juris- 
diction shall either openly condemn 
or oppose the baptism of infants, or 
go about secretly to seduce others 
from the approbation or use thereof, 
or shall purposely depart the congre- 
gation at the ministration of the ordi- 
nance, or," etc., etc., "and shall appear 
to the Court wilfully and obstinately 
to continue therein after due time 
and means of conviction, every such 
person shall be sentenced to banish- 
ment." (Hubbard MS., N.E., chap. XIV, 
Hazard Coll. 1, 538.) 

Samuel Gorton and ten of his 
followers was arrested by forty sol- 
diers; tried, in Boston, as "dam- 
nable heretics," and sentenced to 
confinement and hard labor in irons. 
Persons were fined for reading Ana- 
baptist books. Equally sanguinary 
edicts were made against the Quakers. 
After 1646, no master of a vessel was 
allowed to bring any one of this sect 
into the jurisdiction of Mass., on 
penalty of a hundred pounds. Quakers 
were then considered equally hostile 
to civil order and to Christian truth. 
In 1656, the legislature of Mass. passed 
sentence of banishment on twelve 
of that sect, the whole number then 
in the Colony. (Hutchinson, I, 197.) 
Two Quakers, — Wm. Robinson, Marma- 
duke Stephenson,— were brought to 
trial before the general court of Mass. 
in 1659, sentenced and executed. After 
the restoration of the British monarchy 
in 1660, and the trial and execution 
of the regicides, — Whalley and Goffe 
excepted — the handsome, accomplished 
popular and licentious 3d Stuart, 
Charles II., restored the Episcopal 
hiei-archy: passed the Act of Uniform- 
ity, ejected 200 Presbyterian Clergy- 
men from the churches for refusing 
assent to the Act, and ordered that 



24 



there be lU) fmtli(»r prosoculion of tlie 
Quakois, ^but (hat tlu'V be scut over 
to HriKhind for trial. 

C'oiisidtMing the dates, facts, and 
th(> iKitiotialitli's involved. — we do not 
havt> to Hiio!oj;ise because Sergt. Uich- 
ard Ilildietli and Lieut. Jaint'S Hil- 
dreth were fighters. They had to be 
one of two things, viz.. (1) ministers 
who provoke a fight. — as at l)iinl)ar, — 
and then absent themselves from Its 
unsiiccossful issue: or (2), soldiers 
who physically fight to an issue until 
one of the contestants is put out of 
action. Compulsory church atten- 
dance and public religious "profes- 
sion" under prescribed penalty of no 
suffrage was. liy the Cambridge Sy- 
nod, the ecclesiastical law-makers of 
Mass., Plymouth, Conn, and New Hav- 
en. Scotland could not harmoniously 
be the home of Richard Hildreth and 
James Hildreth and their confiicting 
environments; hence both came to N. 
E. In Scotland, patriotism originally 
meant serving the Clan: tlien serving 
Scotland: then being loyal to the 
United Kingdom: and later, the whole 
British Empire. Criticism of military 
men by clerical and lay, is not unus- 
ual. Such e.xpressions as "hirelings" 
and "hired murderers" were heard in 
America long before the Revolutionary 
period. Perhaps there still exists the 
strange obsession that every military 
man is a plotter against peace. By 
analogy of reasoning, it might be held 
that courts of justice and civilian of- 
ficers organized for the enforcement 
of theii" decrees are a provocation to 
crime: thr.t doctors are responsible 
for disease, clergyman for crime and 
the fire department for conflagrations. 

ANCESTRAL GLEANINGS. 
If. during the ITili Century, immi- 
gration to America had been restrict- 
ed, some of us would have been short 



of ancestors. Our record book of birtlig, 
marriages and deatlis of uncegtors con- 
tains littU> of title-bearing nrlstocracy 
and few heraldic synibolK. 1 have not 
dug Into my anceHtora' grave to find 
clotluK for my own tnatiiiood. Noth- 
ing but dead fruit hangs on a geneal- 
ogical tree. All the fruit worth pre- 
serving has been transferred to the 
gardens of fame. 

Some people think they deserve a 
lot of credit for having some relative 
who became famous, yet we must be 
known to exist before anybody can 
find us, hence we advertise oinsflvcs 
genealogically and otherwise. 

"There were giants in those days." 
— Genesis. :?, 4. "Tell ye your chil- 
dren and let them tell their children, 
and their children another genera- 
tion." Prophet Joel. 

We are made of the same clay as 
our forefathers and foreniothers. In 
what respects do we resemble them, 
or try to? Are we on the wax or on 
the wane? Do we shine only by the 
phosphorescent light emanating from 
the bones of long-burled ancestors? 

"And my God put into my heart to 
gather together the nobles, the rulers 
and the people, that they might be 
reckoned by Genealogy of those who 
came up at the fiist." Nehemlah 
VII. 5. 

"He who Is not proud of a virtuous 
ancestry is not a natural fool, but an 
unnatural one." By virtuous ancestry 
is meant the ambition and inspiration 
to be worthy of it. He who makes 
light or makes little of it exhibits a 
degeneracy of which he may well be 
ashamed and others afraid. Don't 
brag about your ancestors unless your 
ancestors could brag about you. 

"And every man of the children of 
ISRAEL shall pitch by his standard, 
with the ensign of his father's house." 
Numbers ii., -. Moses. 



25 



Is it a mistake to have too mucli 
ancestry? Will a ten-page pedigree 
in a Historical Society save me from 
oblivion? Have we been descending 
long? This book contains a large 
mass of family dead wood. 

"Elijah: a study of Growth." II 
Kings, ii., 12. "And Elisha saw it and 
he cried, 'My Father! The chariot of 
Israel, and the horsemen thereof.' " 

EVENTS CONNECTED WITH RICH- 
ARD HILDRETH AFTER HE BE- 
CAME A FREEMAN AND PRIOR 
TO HIS REMOVAL TO CHELMS- 
FORD. 

We know so little about Richard 
Hildreth that the little things we do 
know are full of meaning, or infer- 
ence. Chelmsford was not noticed by 
Hubbard until about 1655, because, he 
says, "not noticed in the early his- 
tories." The name of Richard Hil- 
dreth does not appear on the early 
tax list of Woburn, nor is there any- 
thing on the Woburn records concern- 
ing him. His record in the westerly 
part of Cambridge from 1643-5 to 
1654-5 is continuous. Until 1732 that 
part of Cambridge was the W. Parish 
of Cambridge, and was called "Me- 
notomy." In 1807, it was incorporated 
a distinct town under the title of West 
Cambridge, for which Arlington was 
substituted in 1867. Where did Sergt. 
Richard Hildreth live when in New 
Towne (Cambridge)? The "Register 
Booke of ye Lands and Houses in the 
New Tovv'ne," and the town of Cam- 
bridge (1896), P. 137, shows: 

"Twelfth of (10), 1648. Mr. Henry 
Dunster Bought of Roger Bancroft the 
9th of June, 1648: Three Acr. & halfe 
of land. In Monotamye playne. Abutt 
ffrancis Moore East, Richard Jack- 
son Weft, Charftowne lyne north, 
Comon fouth." Prior to his removal 
to Chelmsford, Richard Hildreth ap- 



pears to have tenanted in Henry, or 
Jonathan, Dunster's home at Menot- 
omy. His name is linked with that 
of Dunster other than as a tenant. 

Case No. 1799, seventh paper. Early 
Court Files, Suffolk Co., Ebenezer 
Prout of Concord, and Elizabeth and 
Jonathan Dunster, tried in 1679, con- 
tains deposition by Thomas Eames of 
Cambridge, taken 6th June, 1676, be- 
fore Thos. Danforth, Asst., at Boston; 
it says, in part: — "being in Mr. Dun- 
ster's company at his house where 
Goodman Hildreth was his tenant, on 
highway of two roads wide from Min- 
notime Mill straight up the Concord 
road." 

Mr. Henry Dunster arrived in Cam- 
bridge in Aug., 1640; built in Cam- 
bridge earlier than 1641. Was Pres. 
of Harvard College, 1640-54. D. '59. 
Widow was Elizabeth: Jonathan, son, 
b. 1653. Mr. Dunster was not a man 
of means or substance: had many 
claims: but had intellectual force: 
Oriental scholar: opposed Rev. Jn. 
Mitchell, — divided his church, 1654-5: 
would not renounce nor conceal his 
opposition to infant baptism: fell un- 
der censure of civil magistrates: re- 
moved as Pi-es. of Harvard. See Mx. 
Rec. (Vol. I., Pp. 132-3, Camb., 7th 
Apr., 1657). Henry Dunster avowed, 
as member of Mr. Shepard's church, 
beliefs children ought to be baptized 
and that it be administered by sprink- 
ling. Afterwards Increase Mather says 
he labored privately, but in vain, with 
Mr. Dunster, — who had been his tutor. 
D. became more and more violent in 
open opposition to Mitchell's teach- 
ings: was, therefore, held to have 
forfeited his office as Pres. of College, 
and also exposed to penalties of a vio- 
lated law. Indicted by grand jury 2d 
Apr., 1655, "for disturbance of ordi- 
nance Christ upon Lord's day at Cam- 
bridge, 30th July, 1654, to the dis- 



26 



lioiif)!' ol' iiiiMic of C'lulsl. — Ilia ('lunch 
aiul nilnistor." Court oidciod .Mr. 
H«'iir.v Duiistcr be publicly adnion- 
islu'd and ^ivo bond for bis nood ho- 
liavlor. llo was cbargcnl with inter- 
rupting the public ordinance on tliut 
(lay without leave, notwithstanding 
desire of the Klder that he forbear, 
— and stating that there were cor- 
ruftions stealing into the churclj 
which every faithful Christian ought 
to hear witness against. Mr. Dunster 
acknowledged that he had so done, 
and that he would stand by them. — 
(juoting Calvin, Ames, Hooker, et alii. 
-After further debate, he gave In his 
answer in writing, 4th Apr., Ifi.'S.T, to 
the presentment of the grand jury, 
(see P. 2fi5-<), Paige's Hist, of Cam- 
bridge). 

Mr. Dunster's seditious language, 
undervalueing Rev. Mr. Mitchell (who 
was a Fellow of Harvard College, 
1 •!")(». and also a member of the Sy- 
nod), his intellectual and ecclesias- 
tical equal, — was substantially that 
used by Sergt. Richard Hildreth in 
1(')70 at Chelmsford when he and John 
Barrett got up a petition to get rid 
of Parson John Fiske, because, dur- 
ing a ministry of 14 or lr> years at 
Che'.msford, he had grieved many, 
conveited few, persecuted and pros- 
ecuted many under pretext of plat- 
foi m of church discipline, which plat- 
foim had been framed by the Rev. 
Jno. .Mitchell. 

Esdras Reade, from Wenham, 1(154, 
was the chief factor in 1054-5, to get 
Rev. John Fiske. M. D., to move from 
Wenham to Chelmsford. It is re- 
corded that Mr. Fiske came, L'2d Sept., 
Iti54, being well stocked with ser- 
vants, all sorts of tools for husbandry 
and carrentry, and with provisions to 
support his family in a wilderness for 
three years. Cotton Mather's opinion 
of the ability of Mr. F'iske as a 



preacher or paHtf)r was not Hliared 
by Richard Hildreth. The mInlBter 
was the most wealthy man in ChelmB- 
ford: Sergt. Richard Hildreth was. 
probably, the most necessltouK. .Mr. 
Fiske died liUh Oct., H;75. Ah It was 
with Henry Dimster so it was with 
Richard Hildreth. The cxiierience of 
Dunster and the Ist Congregational 
church was paralleled by that of the 
Sergt. and Rev. J. Fiske In Chelms- 
ford in 1(170. Mr. Mitchell was pastor 
18 years at Cambridge. His learning, 
elo(|uence, piety, and natural gifts, 
mightiness In prayer, zeal against all 
"oppugnors," is described In terms as 
also applicable to Mr. Fiske. Mr. 
Mitchell died 9th July. IGfiS. 

In 1047, Richard Hildreth was 
scribe, attestator and witness to an 
agreement between Henry Uunster 
and some masons who engaged to 
build a schoolhouse on the lot owned 
by President Dunster. The compiler 
submits that the Sergt. was a sort 
of man Friday, — as Defoe would 
phrase it, — for .Mr. Henry Dunster, — 
and imbibed from him some of the 
tenets and advanced Ideas that Influ- 
ence his life and principles In after 
years at Chelmsford. He would not 
let the Rev. Fiske bully him, and he 
scorned Esdras Reade. Of course, he 
had to pass under the rod, but he 
had the satisfaction of reiterating. In 
Chelmsford, the logic and pleas of his 
expositor, Henry Dunster. -As a re- 
sult, he, like Dimster, was hauled up 
before minister Fiske, and was bidden 
to appear before the county court at 
Cambridge for circulating a petition 
arraigning the minister Fiske as In- 
sij id, lax. adynamic, and generally 
atonic. 

Xot until 1774 was there any news- 
paper printed in Boston: the Boston 
Evening Post, followed by the News- 
Letter. No lines of electric comma- 



nication. Postal facilities were infre- 
quent. The records of Sergt. Richard 
Hildreth's alleged offences were kept 
by his accusor, the Rev. John Fiske. 
Of course, liegeman, Deacon Esdras 
Reade, backed up the minister: Rich- 
ard was compelled to eat humble pie; 
so was Major Ephraim Hildreth at 
a later date; but the latter moved out 
of Chelmsford, made for himself a 
new home on the north side of the 
Merrimack River. — 1712, — and there 
spent the remainder of his days. To 
this day, the name of Rev. John Fiske 
to his descendants is like shaking a 
red flag to a mad bull. Meanwhile, 
the Merrimack flowed, peacefully sing- 
ing, to the sea. The theory on which 
the government was established was 
not Democratic, but Theocratic. The 
suffrage was limited to the church 
members, and the voters were not 
more than one-fifth part of the grown 
men. (Palfrey's Hist. N. E., Vol. 3, P. 
135.) Thus was the suffrage restricted 
in 1631: and in 1660, when Richard 
Hildreth and others of the inhabitants 
of Middlesex Co. brought this subject 
anew to the attention of the Gen. C't., 
it was ordered "that no man what- 
soever shall be admitted to the free- 
dom of this body politic but such as 
are members of some church of 
Christ (i.e., some Congregational 
church), and in full communion." 
(Mass. C'y Rec, Vol. 4, P. 420.) A 
famous example of this church con- 
trol is set forth in Winthrop's Hist. 
of N. E., Vol. 1, P. 326: Vol. 2, P. 
13-15: case of the confession of Capt. 
John Underbill and Cooper Faber's 
wife, which suggested to Hawthorne 
his "Scarlet Letter." 

We know more about Sergt. Richard 
Hildreth's contentiousness in eccle- 
siastical matters than about his life 
and doings after he moved to Chelms- 
ford. The Colonial records are some- 



what meagre and uncertain in rela- 
tion to the organization of the local 
military companies through many 
years. In 1654 the expedition started 
against the Pequods. King Philip's 
war was in 1675-6. King William's in 
1689-98. Erasmus calls war "the mal- 
ady of princes." The rev. historian of 
Chelmsford-Westford says, P. 147, "The 
Maquas and strange Indians from 
Southward burnt houses in 1676 in 
Dracut, Chelmsford, killing some. Maj. 
Thos. Hinchman's command Upper 
Middlesex regiment in 1689 ordered 
scouting. His report to the Gov. & 
Council in Boston is dated Chelmsford, 
12th July, 1689." But Richard's hand 
had vanished. He was literally hand- 
icapped. This disability probably oc- 
curred after he was 49 and before he 
was 53 years old. His petition, re- 
ferring to it, is dated 1663. Did he 
mean to pun on the word "husband- 
man"? By his second wife, Elizabeth, 
he had the following progeny: 

1646, July 21, Elizabeth; she mar- 
ried John Stevens, 15th Dec, 1664. 

1648, June 8th, Sarah; she married 
Jacob Stone, 1674. 

Mary married Jacob Warren, 1667. 

Ephraim, m. 1st, Dorothy Barnes of 
Stow, 11 June, 1685; she died 17th 
June. Second wife, 8th Oct., 1685, Ann 
Moore of Sudbury. 

Abigail married Moses Parker and 
Joseph married Abigail Wilson of Wo- 
burn. The seventh child of husband- 
man Richard was Persis, born 8th Feb., 
1659; she had as her second husband, 
Sam Cleveland. The birth of Thomas, 
son of Richard and Elizabeth, his wife, 
was 1st Feb., 1661. Finally Isaac, — 
apparently twin to Thomas, — who mar- 
ried Elizabeth Wilson. The Jane Hil- 
dreth who married Robert Proctor at 
Concord, — age 17, — on Oct. 30, 1645, by 
Maj. Simon Willard, was the daughter 
of Richard by his first wife, Sarah. 



28 



There were throe local conllicts for 
the single-handed Richard to nglit In 
Chelnistord. viz.: IT.TO, Mar. and .\pr.; 
1(;7;5, .May and June; ICSd. The de- 
tailed account of these tronhh-s exist 
in the town and church records. — the 
latter, of course, hy Mr. .lolin Flske. 
Our talented cousin. Arthur llildreth. 
on KUh June. lS!t-l, read hefore the re- 
union of the Hildreth family at Chelms- 
ford. — and, later, published the ac- 
count. In substance. Hichard Hildreth 
and John Barrett and Abraham Par- 
ker tried to get rid of the Rev. John 
Fiske. On March 1st, lf.70, at the 
Clielmsford town meeting, Richard 
Hildreth made a long speech against 
the minister, for which openness he 
was cited to Cambridge to answer "for 
reproachful speech of the minister of 
Chelmsford," (Apr. 4). The one-hand- 
ed Sergt. produced the petition, to 
which many signal uies were arj)ended. 
asking for another minister, but gown 
prevailed over sword. Josiah Fletcher, 
et alii, were compelled to abide the 
obnoxious parson. Three years later. 
lt)73. Parson Fiske's Church Register 
wrote that Richard Hildreth "was in- 
strumental of hindering his son-in-law, 
Robert Proctor, for ye sact" (sacra- 
ment). Local war lasted through May 
and June. The minister called meet- 
ings at his house to discuss the 
strained relations between the Ser- 
geant and Robert Proctor concerning 
a boundary of ye meadow between 
them: and the parson's friend made 
a motion concerning ye sin, laying on 
the table any further action until "ye 
sin and matter of offence be orderly 
charged and brought before ye 
church." Richard said. In substance, 
that it was none of the business of the 
church as regards the meadow boun- 
dary line between Robert Proctor's 
land and his own. but by that time, 
son-in-law Proctor charged Richard 



with unJUKtIy charRinK hitn with 
breach of covenant. The IlKht wuh 
taken Into the church. Kliiddening the 
heart of Ksdran Read*-, unto wlmrn 
Richard had addrcHHed cauutlc words: 
this despite Adams, who was loyal to 
Sergt. Dick, us becomes u Rood com- 
rade. When the congregation had ua- 
sembled to see Richard recant and do 
penance. — he confessed that he ought 
not to have hindered his son-ln-luw 
from the sacrament: but, as regards 
other complaints, "he looked to nought 
else he was to speak to, though he 
heard of many things to be laid to his 
charge. The offended brethren had not 
dealt orderly with him yet about those 
things. It was not fit that he should 
speak to them, and he objected." 

"The next Lord's day," says Parson 
Fiske, "ye charge was brought In to 
myself by Brother Proctor with ye pre- 
tended evidence, but ye same not evi- 
dencing ye charge. \VK suspended ye 
proceedings of It. Brother Proctor 
himself letting it fall and not prose- 
cuting it." 

In our day. this would be called a 
case of. 1st. malicious accusation; 2d, 
an attempt to shift responsibility; .Id. 
an acquittal with honor, as the Scotch 
say. 

The balance of the Indictment, then, 
was for the criminal to e.xpress regret 
and ask for pardon for keeping son- 
in-law Proctor's child from the sacra- 
ment; so, on the next Lord's day, — 
before the whole congregation. — Rich- 
ard stood up and said "that the sact 
charge with which he was charged was 
true and he was sorry for It." He did 
not make clear whether he was sorry 
for the charge or sorry for the truth- 
fulness of the charge. Then he sat 
down. "Objection was made." says 
Parson Flske, "to the shortness and 
leanness of his confession. " Then the 
other accusations, which hud already 



20 



been shown to be without foundation, 
were brought up again. One hundred 
and thirty-nine years afterwards, in 
Dracut, — Fisher Ames Hildreth, — sixth 
in descent from Sergt. Richard Hil- 
dreth, democrat, had a word-tilt with 
his father. Dr. Israel Hildreth, federal- 
ist, in town meeting. Fisher Ames H., 
age 21, was son of the elder Hildreth 
who inveighed against the "lack of 
talent and good manners of the young 
Demosthenes who had assailed his 
platform." Fisher won his spurs by 
neatly retorting that, "admitting both 
his absence of talent, for which he 
should not decry his Heavenly Father, 
he could reasonably hold his earthly 
father responsible for his alleged lack 
of good manners." Dr. Israel Hildreth 
didn't know, so he afterwards said, 
whether to be mad or proud of this 
repartee from the chip of the old 
block. 

Reverting to Chelmsford and 1670, — 
the Rev. Flske and the brethren op- 
posed to Sergt. Richard Hildreth, were 
uncertain whether the veteran had 
been humbled or not. Somehow, the 
folks felt that, either the Sergt. was 
a diplomatic fool, or that they had 
been fooled by fencing with a vigor-, 
ous kind of a man who could use 
words to conceal or express, with more 
or less intelligence, but they did not 
know which. The congregation was 
dismissed, and Mr. Fiske assembled 
the brethren at his house. The agi- 
tation then continued. A compromise 
between those who were endowed with 
reason and those who were not, re- 
sulted. This motion prevailed: "That 
considering these matters as circum- 
stanced, we do rest with this acknowl- 
edgment, and do leave the matter fur- 
ther to God and to our Bro. Hildreth's 
own conscience, and himself to the 
liberty of communicating with us, as 
of old, untill further light doe appear." 



By a majority of two, this motion 
prevailed. 

The conclusion of the affair shall 
be given in Parson Fiske's own words: 
"Before I manifested ye matter to 
Richard Hildreth, or would admitt ye 
calling him in, I proposed in regard 
of ye rest unsatisfied herewith (as ap- 
prehending some guilt upon ye 
church), that we should for their 
sakes, that ye matter might be con- 
sidered by a counsell, and notwith- 
standing what we had voted, that we 
would yield to ye light They should 
help us unto, upon Their hearing of 
the case. The brethren that voted in 
ye affirmative, many of them, mani- 
fested themselves willing thereto; but 
ye others refused, saying ye church 
had orderly cast it, and they would 
there rest. So Richard Hildreth was 
called in, and ye matter declared to 
him with serious counsell, and he was 
silent." 

Richard Hildreth was not a fool. 
The compiler can imagine Lt. James 
Hildreth sitting back, silent and alert, 
on a bench, cannily smiling inwardly, 
and monitorially saying: "Father, keep 
out of church rows, if you can. I'm 
not yet forty, but repeat your own in- 
junction, viz.: 

" 'With scanty hair and failing sight, 
this sage advice I give to you, — 

Be discreet enough to shun a fight, or 
have pluck enough to fight it 
through.' " 

THE FELLING OF THE GREEN 
WALNUT TREE UPON THE 
ROCKES.— May 11th, 1674. 

1674, May 11th, Cambridge. 

At a meeting of the felect men. 
(95) Amos woodward being Con- 
uicted before the townsmen for fell- 
ing fume green walnut trees upon the 



30 



Rocks was fined flue flillllrins and It 
was ordi'ied by the felec-t men that 
the t'ounftable fhoiild leaulo It to 
lUchard Cutter Alfoe Hlehard lill- 
dreth Is fined one fhllllnK for felling 
a green walnut tree upon the rockes 
(the rocks)." 
It is moved that. 

WHEREAS Richard Hildreth was 
chosen Townsmen of Cambridge, iL'th 
Sept., 1(545: Whereas, the Menotomy 
timber record of 14th Jan'y, ir.38: also 
the Cow law of 8th Mar.. 1<;47.— as 
well as many other local ordinances 
of Cambridge, — especially exempts the 
Town's Selectmen from the operations 
for tresspass of fine, for violations 
whereof mere Goodmen were pun- 
ished: Whereas George Washington 
was praised for telling the truth con- 
ceining the cutting of the Cherry-tree: 

Be it Resolved that suit for restitu- 
tion to heirs of Sergt. Richard Hil- 
dreth of that shilling, with compound 
interest, be instituted. 

The compiler now holds Richard 
Hildreth responsible for his taste for 
pickled walnuts with English mutton 
clio^s. Welsh Rarebits, etc. 

The descendants of Richard Hil- 
dreth and Lt. James Hildreth. his eld- 
est son, have Scotch blood in them. It 
was an Irishman who, being present at 
a social gatheiing in a hall hung with 
poitii its of their ancestors, said to the 
leveleis: "Yees are like potatoes. 
The best {.art of you is L'nder 
tjound." 

In tlie .Middlesex Probate records, — 
Book 1(>54 to 184U, at Cambridge, over 
ninety Hildreths are named. The list 
includes Stow, Wcstford. Shirley. Con- 
cord. Acton. Dracut. Lowell. Tyngs- 
boro. Groton. Pelham. t'ambridge. 
Townsend. 

The compiler of this supplement ack- 



nowledges lilti in(l<-hti(ln<-H8 to the 
writings, or piibllcatlunH, of tlie fol- 
lowing: — 

(1) Conii<ilallon8 from town records 
of ChcliiiKford, MasH.. L'dth .May. 1840, 
by Ellslia Huntington of Lowell. 

(2) Comi^ nations "The American 
Hildreths." by Richard Hildreth. I'd 
Apr.. 18[it;. 

(.{) Compilations by Henry O. Hil- 
dreth, Cambridge, l!KtO; 1, li. and A. 

(4) Compilations from town records 
of Chelmsford and Dracut, "Origin and 
Gen<'alogy of the Hildreth family of 
Lowell. .Mass."; published In the 
Lowell "Courier-Citizen." In weekly 
parts, in 18;tl and 18!»i;; assembled in 
pamphlet. 71 pages, published 1st .May. 
1892, by Capt. Philip Reade, V. S. 
Army. Edition limited to five hundred 
copies. Copies sent to most of the 
libraries of Middlesex and Suffolk 
Co"s. 

(.'')) "Early Grants of Land in the 
Wilderness North of the Meriimack.' 
I'd Aug. 1892, Geo. Aug. Gordon. A. .M. 

((>) Compilations and Address by 
Arthur Hildreth, "The Early Hildreths 
of New England." 

(7) Compilations and Address by 
Mrs. Charles Dana Palmer (nee Row- 
ena Hildreth), at annual gathering of 
the Hildreth family. 

WHEN AND WHERE AND HOW DID 
SERGT. RICHARD HILDRETH 
LOSE HIS RIGHT HAND? 
Story is told of a wooden-legged 
j man to whom comment was made by 
, an inquisitive stranger: "I see, sir. 
that you have lost your right leg. " 
The disabled cripple glanced down in 
, affected surprise, and rejoined: "V" 
' so I have I" The curious strai.^> 
I then asked: "May I inquire how yon 
lost your leg?" The maimed one m- 
I piled: "Yes. if you promise not to ask 



iiic .inv further (iu.'sriiin> 



This pledge was given the disfigured 
man, who responded: "It was bit off." 

The compiler only knows that Sergt. 
Richard Hildreth's right hand was cut 
off, but whether by casualty, surgical 
amputation, or otherwise, he does not 
know. Grants to requite heroism in 
public service have always been com- 
mon in English speaking nations. 
Perhaps the Sergt. was a military pen- 
sioner. It is not difficult to assert 
things; it is more difficult to find and 
quote proofs and authorities. Per- 
haps that mutilation was one of the 
reasons why Richard disappeared 
from the activities of life so soon after 
his removal to Chelmsford. An old 
man hath the almanac in his body. 
Wrinkles are fretworks, so it is to be 
hoped that Dick didn't worry. Some 
Hildreths live long. Elijah, son of 
Maj. Ephraim of Dracut, for instance. 
He was born in Dracut, Mass., 23d 
May, 1728; married 1st Feb., 1755; 
died 14th May, 1814. His granddaugh- 
ter, mother of the compiler, Rowena 
Hildreth Reade, was born the year he 
died. She is, I believe, the oldest liv- 
ing tie binding the present Hildreths 
with the first of the name in New 
England. She lives serenely on the 
estate of her grandfather's birth at 
871 Lake View Ave., Lowell, formerly 
Dracut. The stone house is a familiar 
landmark in the city of spindles. It 
is within sight of the Hildreth Ceme- 
tery, deeded by the sons of Maj. 
Ephraim Hildreth, 17th Dec, 1752,— 
Ephraim, William, and Elijah, — to the 
town of Dracut for a burial ground, 
and it is of record that the cession was 
made to "confirm our Honored father's 
promise, verbally made." It is one of 
the habits of this lady to frequently 
visit the grave, same enclosure, of 
her great-great-grandfather, the Maj. 
(1680-1740), and his wife, Marcy or 
Mary. Her name is a synonym of 



healthful industry, buoyancy and 
strong character. The central figure 
of the stone house is practical, out- 
spoken, gentle-voiced, tender wife and 
mother, — tenacious in her opinions, 
yet big enough and courageous enough 
to acknowledge her mistakes: this 
woman, wise in counsel, sympathetic 
in soi-row, joyous with the young, 
restful with the old, has certain 
lines about her face which rheumatic 
pains and advancing years cannot 
alone account for: but she is the 
grand dame of the Merrimack valley: 
the favorite of all generations, and 
blushes still when reminded that 
Healy, the artist who painted her por- 
trait before the compiler was born, 
called her the "most beautiful of all 
the beautiful Hildreth sisters." She 
walks, nowadays, somewhat backward 
into the future; says, "Young folks 
put the clock forward; old folks set 
the hands back." Only the other day 
she said: "The Ark and the Mayflower 
were tlie largest vessels ever put to 
sea." 

OBJECTS OF THIS PAMPHLET. 

To record the doings of Sergt. Rich- 
ard Hildreth prior to his settlement at 
Chelmsford, 1654-5, thus aiding to fill 
in the gap between his migration to 
Cambridge, 1643, and his trons-Atlan- 
tic home. 

To illumine the record of his eldest 
son, Lieut. James Hildreth (1631- 
1695), prior to his expatriation to 
America, and to prove his Scotch na- 
tionality. 

On Apr. 2, 1856, the historian, Rich- 
ard Hildreth (1807-1865) wrote a let- 
ter; it closed with these words: "For 
the benefit of the family at large, and 
in the hopes of eliciting further in- 
formation, I shall send a copy of this 
letter for publication in the Boston 
Genealogical Register. Meanwhile, I 



32 



remain your friend jiinl eoiisin. I pre- 
sume." 

Tlie compiler wiis eleven years old 
wlien tlie author of "Jai)an as it was 
and is." dii-d in Florence, Italy; hut 
lie has trod tlie san>e Kiound. in both 
liemisplier»'s, and is actuated by the 
SAme feelin.L's. Perhaps Richard Rus- 
sell Ilildreth, the youngest of the 
name, will take \\\) the work? My 
mother perp»'t rates a grave remark. 
It is this: "We are here to stay." 
The highest honor to the dead is to 
teach their lesson to tlie living. 1 
console myself with tlie reflection that 
I have done something to facilitate 
the research and labors of other Hil- 
dreths. A circular, dated 132d May, 
1J100. signed by Eugene W. Hildreth, 
Secretary and Treasurer, represent- 
ing the Hildreth Family Association, 
is before me. It says, in part, that 
immediate action to preserve the 
headstone of our common ancestor, 
Richard Hildreth. and to erect a suit- 
able monument marking the grave at 
Chelmsford, Mass., at the grave, will 
be held 12th June, 190!). It further 
says that appropriate exercises will 
be held. The President of the Asso- 
ciation is Dr. John (Marcellus) Lewis 
Hildreth, of 14 Garden Street, Cam- 
bridge. Mass. 

Sliould I be present, 1 might say 
that it is fitting that Col. John Lewis 
Hildreth should live on historic Gar- 
den Street, within a few hundred 
yards of the Washington Elm. Xewe 
Towne. or Cambridge, as it e.xisted 
in 1635, included Garden Street. 

The act demonstrates the existence 
of family ties of interest. Melancholy 
need not be enthroned amid tlie pro- 
ceedings of rearing a new stone of 
granite, embracing the old stone of 
slate. 2ir, years after the death of 
Sergt. Richard Hildietli. It is a com- 
pliment to us that the Scottish game 



of golf is now a popular American 
game. We are soon to rescue from 
obscurity the original modest slate- 
stone over Sergt. RU-hard Ulldreth's 
Chelmsford grave. In tlie language 
of Lincoln at the Gettysburg dedica- 
tion. — "We can not dedicate." 

JAPAN AND SCOTLAND COM- 
PARED. OPTIMISM AND PESSI- 
MISM. 

SAMl'RAl A.MJ THE CLANS.MAN. 
— In the early middle ages. — say be- 
fore the twelfth century, — the soldiers 
of the Mikado's palace were said to 
"samurau," that is. "be on guard" 
tliere. But when feudalism came In. 
the word "samurai" was taken to de- 
note the entire warrior class. "War- 
riors." "the military class." "the gen- 
try." are perhaps the best English 
rendering of the word; for it was of 
the essence of Old Japan that all 
gentlemen must be soldiers, and all 
soldiers gentlemen. The training, the 
occupations, the code of honor, the 
whole mental atmosphere of the Sa- 
murai exhibitt'd a striking similarity 
to those of the nobility and gentry 
of the Hritish Isles during the Mid- 
dle Ages. With them, as with us. 
obedience unciuestlonlng and enthu- 
siastic was yielded to feudal superiors, 
to monarchs ruling by right divine. 
— obedience even unto death. With 
them, as with us, It was birth and 
breeding that counted, not money. 
The Samurai's word was his bond, and 
he was taught to be gentle as well 
as brave. "God and the ladles I" was 
the motto of the European knight. 
Rut neither God nor the ladies In- 
spired any enthusiasm In the Samu- 
rai's breast. In the feudal times, 
which lasted till A.D. 1871. the Samu- 
rai lived In his Dalmyo's castle, at- 
tended his Daim^'o on all occasions, 
and received from him rations for 



33 



himself and his family. — It is impos- 
sible not to see that, despite varying 
details, the same general trend of con- 
ditions produced kindred results on 
the two opposite sides of the globe. 
It is to be observed, too, that in 
Japan as in the British Isles, — espe- 
cially Scotland, — the living reality of 
the earlier chivalry faded at last, un- 
der a centralised absolutism, and the 
use of gunpowder in fire arms, into 
pageant and etiquette. 

Scotland has been the land of leg- 
end, tradition and poetry. In fealty, 
identification to his laird, — in love 
and homage to the chief of his clan, 
whether in achievement or calamity, 
— to the last his heart was with his 
clan: and this is all Samurai. Clan 
meant house, stem, trunk, tree, stock, 
pedigree, lineage, line, family, tribe, 
sept, race, genealogy, descent, ances- 
try to the followers of Sir William 
Wallace, Robert Bruce, Earl Douglas 
of Bannockburn and their contempo- 
raries. The hypothesis is advanced 
that Sergt. Richard Hildreth was one 
of those Scots who took up arms for 
the Covenant in 1639. Invaded Eng- 
land, beat the English forces at New- 
burn, took possession of Newcastle, 
thus being one of the precursors of 
the "Round-heads" and "Cavalier" par- 
ties of England and Scotland. If this 
conjecture is correct, Richard, like 
James, his eldest son, was a Scotch- 
man, and, hence, all Scotch history of 
the period ought to be interesting to 
his descendants. If the inventory of 
his effects had included tartan, "Brea- 
con-feile," plaid, brooch-pin, or any 
pai-t of his Highland garb, we might 
know to what clan he belonged: — 
but he left no broad-sword or clay- 
more: only an old gun-barrel, — value 
ten shillings. Did the Sergeant ever 
bear that old war-time gun? If "yes," 
where, when, in what cause? His 



compiler does not believe he ever was 
a dotard. What is a dotard? 

There are three stages of life. The 
first is when we are very young, and 
think of the wicked things which we 
shall be able to do when we are older, 
and this is the age of innocence. The 
second is when we are older, and able 
to do the wicked things which we 
thought about when we were young; 
and this is the prime of life. The 
third is when we are dotty and re- 
pent the wicked things which w^e did 
when we were younger; and this is 
the dotage. 

SOME OF THE CONDITIONS WHEN 
RICHARD HILDRETH WAS MADE 
FREEMAN. 

In 1643, Middlesex Co. extended to 
the "South Sea," and included large 
portions of N. H. and Conn. This year 
is signalized by three events. (1) 
Formation of the Confederacy be- 
tween this Colony and the three other 
Colonies of N. E. (2) Creation of 
four counties: Middlesex, Essex, Suf- 
folk and Norfolk. (3) On 10th May, 
1643, Richard Hildreth was made a 
Freeman. About 4,000' English-speak- 
ing families, say 20,000 persons, then 
domiciled the rugged shores of N. E. 
Middlesex Co. then contained only 
eight towns, viz.: Charles Towne, 
Watertown, Medford, Concord, Cam- 
bridge, Sudbury, Woburn and Reading. 
One year later, Passaconaway, brother 
of Wannalancet, appeared before the 
Genl. Ct. at Boston and formally sub- 
mitted to the Colonial authorities. 
(See Mass. Colonial Records, Vol. 2, 
P. 73.) John Eliot had been called 
"Apostle" three years before, and 
every ship that entered Mass. Bay 
brought her quota of adventurers, im- 
migrants, but the tide of immigration 
ceased when, in England, the struggle 
was transferred from the halls of 



34 



Westminster ami Oxford to tlu> battic- 
ll'-lds of Nfwbuiy. Kdgiilll. C'alsKiave. 
.Marston .M«M)r and Naschy. C'rom- 
uills IrotihhUs were liaiUhiK back 
Prince Rupert's ciivahy and tllltng 
Kino, o witli the f:ime of the soldleis 
who t; listed In Clod and ke; t their 
1 owder d:y. 

V/AS RICHARD HILDRETH A 
SCOTCHMAN? 

He did 111)1 leave any memoirs. It 
Is fsilr piesuni|itlon that lollgioiis, po- 
litical and military controvery be- 
tween the kingdoms of Kngland and 
Scotland occasioned, or nect'ssitated, 
I'.ls mignitlon to America. Two bat- 
tles were fought between the Cove- 
n:'nters and the Royalists before 
Richard Hlld!eth was of record in 
Ci.mb.idge, Mass.. viz.: Newbury Ford 
and lOdKehlll. The Royalists were de- 
feated by the Scotch Covenanters at 
.\ewbury. 28th Aug.. 1G40, and the lat- 
ter th(>n took possession of Newcastle. 
Kdjitehlll was fought 2lth Oct., ir>42. 
Samuel Rawson Gardiner. Prof, of 
.Modem History at King's College, 
London. — in "The Fall of tlie Monar- 
chy of Charles I. 1(;:!7-1<;49." — two vol- 
uni s dSSl'), contains an account of 
the English rout at Newbury, etc., I 
closing 22 Aug.. lt;42. when Charles 
the king raised the Royal Standard at 
Nottingham, inaugurating Civil War 
aialr.st the Roundheads. In "Bygone 
V.'a wickshire." edited by William An- 
d ews (is;i3), we find "The bittle of 
lld^chiM." by P^dward Lami lough. 
Botli sides claimed the victory, which 
neitlicr v. on: but from .').o()0 to G.ooo 
nun peiis'.ied In the battle, of whom 
the projortlon of Parliamentarians 
was estimated at two-thirds. Another 
work. "The Covenante:s. a history of 
the Church In Scotland fiom the Re- 
formation to the Revolution," — two 
volumes (lOni), by James King Hew- 
Isnn, — calls It the battle of Newburn- 
ford. 28th Aug.. 1640. It says that, In 



1'"'41. CharU'K jilaced a stronger truHt 
In the Scotch reverence for himHolf 
than in the fidelity of his Puritan crlt- 
Iflsin. hence resolved to turn the 
fealty of Scotland to account. 

The MluebonnetK were warlike. Per- 
haj s Richard lilldreth was one of the 
Solemn L«"ague and Covenanters. 
li'.42: — or a partlciirnt In the Second 
Hishop's War. 1(1^0-1(141. 

The date of entrance of the Scots 
Into England, after several weeks 
spent In drill, under David Leslie, was 
17th Aug.. 1(;40. (See P. :?4S.O. Vol. 1. 
for list of regimental officers.) It in- 
cludes. In part. Rothes. Montrose. Uun- 
fermline, Casslllls, Athol, Home, King- 
horn. Lothian. Dalhousle, Lindsay. 
Loudoun. Krskine, .Montgomery, Drum- 
mond. Carnegie, Elcho. etc. All wore 
blue bonnets, as Sir Walter Scott's 
version of a contemporary song 
reads: — 

"March, march, Eskdale and Liddis- 

dale. 
All the blue bonnets are over the 

Border." 

Cnder the terms of the Treaty of 
RIpon, 2(lth Oct., 1H40, 850 pounds a 
day were payable to the Covenanters 
from the three northern counties of 
.Vorthumberland, Cumberland. West- 
moiland. and from the bishopric of 
Durham. Hostilities ceased; — the Scots 
were awarded 220,000 pounds indem- 
nity for their "brotherly assistance": 
the Covenanting insurgents obtained 
all their demands with the exception 
of I'niformity. and Richard Hildreth 
settled In New F:ngland. 

IF RICHARD HILDRETH WAS 
SCOTCH. WHAT WAS HIS FAM- 
ILY OR CLAN? 
In ■History of the Highlands." 

(184:1). by James Browne. Vol. 2. 

P. (11. we read: "Tlie battle of Dun- 



•io 





., •;: Hfi-EQTED BY. 

•:MilJiJp-EtH FAMILY 








bar took place on the 3d Sept., 1650. 
Ten thousand of the Scots were taken 
prisoners, of whom not less than 5,100 
were wounded. The remainder of the 
prisoners were sent to England, where 
about 2,000 of them died of a pesti- 
lential disease, and the rest were sold 
as slaves and sent to the English 
plantation in the West Indies." 

In "Sketches of the Clans of Scot- 
land, with colored plates of Tartans," 
by Clansmen J. M. P. and F. W. S. 
(1880): also in "The Scottish Clans 
and their Taitans," — published by 
Chas. Scribner's Sons, (1906), note is 
made that the following took an ac- 
tive part in the civil wars of the 
sixteenth century, being at one time 
marshalled on the side of the suppor- 
ters of the royal cause against Oliver 
Cromwell, viz.: 

Clan Marfarlane, strong supporters 



of the Stewart race. The Clan Cam- 
eron distinguished itself in the wars 
against Cromwell for the restoration 
of the Stewart dynasty. The Clan 
Maclean signalized itself by adherence 
to, and support of, the cause of the 
Stewarts by which they suffered 
severely. The Clan Macleod took an 
active part in the civil wars of the 
17th century on the side of the Royal- 
ists. The Clan Mackenzie, like most 
of the other Clans of Scotland, es- 
poused the cause of the Stewarts, in 
which it took an active part. The 
Clan Munro ranked themselves on the 
side of the government in the 17th 
century. On the restoration of Chas. 
I., Clan Margregor had their former 
rights restored to them for the loyal 
support which they gave to the Mar- 
quis of Montrose on the side of King 
Charles in the year 1644. The Mac- 



36 




The oriKinal slate crave-sione of Sergt. RicharJ HilJreth.— cut of which is shown on page 15, — has 
been set in one of Rockport granite on an enJuring cement base by the Hildreth Family Association at an 
expense of about $i;o.oo. Appropriate exercises were holden at the grave in Chelmsford. Mass., on 
June la, 1909. 



nabs were attracted to the cause of 
Charles I. for whom they fought loy- 
ally and bravely, especially at Wor- 
cester. Clan Urummond was firmly 
attached to the cause of the Stewarts. 
The Erasers took an active part 
against Oliver Cromwell in ir,50. and. 
later, on the side of the Pretender at 
Culloden. Clan Gordon played a dis- 
tinguished part in the civil war on the 
side of royalty against the Covenant- 
ers. Clan Sutherland rendered ser- 
vice against Oliver Cromwell. Clan 
^lackay appeare to have been both on 
the side of the Govt, and of the Cov- 
enanters: same is alleged of the Clan 
Stewart. Their badge is the oak 
and thistle. The Slnclalrs supported 
Prince Charles In his attempt to re- 
store the crown to the Stewart family. 



The Camerons were ever loyal to the 
house of Stuart. 

Campbell's regt. of Scots Foot Guard 
was cut to pieces at Worcester. Clan 
Campbell of Argyll's badge is a wild 
myrtle or Fir Club Moss. Then there 
was Campbell of Loudoun, and Cam|)- 
bell of Lawers. Those who are in 
search of an ancestor in Scotland may 
now indulge themselves in research. 
The compiler does not attempt inves- 
tigation further than to state that the 
following Clans, or families, wore all 
identified with the restoration of 
the Stuarts, viz.: Macintyre, who is 
named as expatriated to .\merica for 
aiding Montrose's Invasion of Argyle, 
l»^4l-5. (Common Heath.) .Maclean 
of Duart (badge. Holly). Lachlan Mac 
Lean of Duart created Baronet of 



87 



Nova Scotia by Charles I., to whom he 
was zealously attached, and in whose 
cause he participated in all the 
triumphs of Montrose. 

Also the following: Macfarlane 
(Cranberry or Cloudberry). Cameron, 
Maclean, Macloud, Mackenzie (Holly). 
Munro (Common Club Moss). Mac- 
gregor (Pine Tree). Macnab (Com- 
mon Heath). Drummond (Wild 
Thyme). Fi-aser. Gordon. Suther- 
land (Cotton Sedge, or Butchers' 
Broom). Mackay (Bulrush, or Broom). 
Stewart. Sinclair (Whin, or Gorse). 
Colquhoun (Hazel). Grant. Gunn (Jun- 
iper, or Roseroot). Lamond (Crab 
Apple Tree). Kerr. Leslie. Maclen- 
nan. Macilister. Bhean (Red Whor- 
tleberry). Macdonald of Clanranald 
(Heath). Macdonald of the Isles of 
Sleat (Heath). Mecfie; owing to 
whose loyalty to the king, armorial 
bearings were granted having for their 
motto the words "PRO REGE." Mac- 
Intyre (Heath; expatriated.) Mackin- 
non (Pine Tree). Machlan (Ash 
Tree). Maclaine of Lochbuie (Heath, 
or Blackberry). Macnaughton (Trail- 
ing Azeles). Macneil. Macpherson 
(Box Wood, or Red Whortle). Mal- 
colm. Menzies. Robertson (Heath, or 
Fern). Ross (Juniper). Skene. Urqu- 
hart (Gilly Flower). It may riot be 
out of place, at this time, to mention 
that Lieut. Gen. Arthur MacArthur, 
U. S. Army, retired, now living in 
Milwaukee, Wis., is of Scotch descent. 
His son, a first Lieut. Eng. Corps., 
U. S. A., is on the active list. 

In 1662, Charles II., at his marriage, 
wore Royal Stuart tartan ribbons on 
his dress. 

The compiler's genealogical friend, 
Capt. Geo. Augustus Gordon, says: 
"The 'ich,' or 'ith,' or 'eth,' or any 
other termination of what is now 
spelled 'Hildreth,' may, or may not, 
have been the original termintion of 
the name, — two or three centuries 



ago. Our English ancestors nevei 
would hold a foreign name in its in 
tegrity. Perhaps the name is Fleml 
ish in its origin, and perhaps the ter- 
minal was 'vich.' This would make 
an earlier ancestor of Richard Hil- 
dreth a F^-ench Belgian.'' 



It don't do any harm to spend, oc 
casionally, a few hours with our an-i 
cestors. The gi-anite-slate gravestone 
of Sergt. Richard Hildreth should be 
the Mecca of the Hildreth family. 

Dr. John Lewis Hildreth, — "Marcel- 
lus," — and Mrs. Cornelia S., widow of 
my late esteemed friend, Henry O. 
Hildreth, — and Mr. Eugene W. Hil- 
dreth, Sec'y and Treas. of the Hil- 
dreth Family Association, — seem to 
have entered into a conspiracy to re- 
vaccinate me with a disease recovered 
from about twenty years ago: a stay- 
ing disease: — the fever of Genealogy. 
The result, except to a few fellow- 
victims, is almost as iminteresting as 
a table of logarithms or a multiplica- 
tion table. But here I am walking 
into the future backwards. We can- 
not say that we loved and admired 
Richard Hildreth in life, but we can 
honor him in death. I haven't put 
much of theory into this pamphlet. 
Have quoted authorities. Wish I 
could correct one error, viz.: Wool- 
sey's injunction, (A. D. 1525), "to 
throw away ambition," was addressed 
to (Sir) Thomas Cromwell, Oliver's 
great-great-uncle. 

Once upon a time a certain tired 
little girl was too tired to say her 
prayers. Above her bed was a framed 
copy of the Lords' Prayer. She trun- 
dled into bed, drowsily saying: 

"O Lord! There's my sentiments!" 

That is about all that I can say 
about this compilation. 

PHILIP READE. 
871 Lake View Ave., 
Lowell, Mass. 

12th June, 1909. 



38 



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